Mount Ibu, located in West Halmahera, North Maluku, has again demonstrated significant volcanic activity by ejecting volcanic ash on Tuesday (7/14/2026) night at 22:49 WIT. This eruption adds to the volcano's long record of seismic activity, having erupted 12 times over the past week.
According to monitoring by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia system, the observed ash column rose up to 800 meters above the peak, or approximately 2,125 meters above sea level. This plume of grey volcanic material of moderate intensity moved toward the north. Seismogram recordings showed a maximum eruption earthquake amplitude of 28 millimeters with a duration of 55 seconds.
Currently, Mount Ibu's activity status remains at Level II (Alert). Throughout Tuesday (7/14/2026), the monitoring post recorded 91 eruption earthquakes with amplitudes ranging from 10 to 28 millimeters and durations between 36 and 78 seconds. In addition, one emission earthquake and ten harmonic tremors were recorded, indicating fluid movement beneath the active crater.
As a safety precaution, PVMBG urges local residents and tourists to refrain from any activities within a 2-kilometer radius of the crater center. This recommendation is also extended to a sectoral distance of 3.5 kilometers toward the active crater opening in the northern sector to avoid potential direct hazards.
Nationally, Mount Ibu's eruption frequency is exceptionally high. Throughout 2026, the volcano has erupted 1,050 times. This figure makes Mount Ibu the second most active volcano in Indonesia after Mount Semeru in East Java, which recorded 1,405 eruptions over the same period.
