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Gede Volcano | Dr John Seach
Last updated: January 2026
West Java,
Indonesia
6.78 S, 106.98 E
summit elevation 2958 m
Stratovolcano
Gede (also known as Gedeh, Ageung or Agung) is a stratovolcano in West Java, ~28 km southeast of Bogor. The summit contains seven craters: Gumuruh, Gedeh, Sela, Ratu, Lanang, Wadon, and Baru. The most active craters are Lanang and Wadon. The western side borders extinct Pangrango volcano. Mt Gede-Pangrango National Park (15,196 ha) encompasses fast-flowing rivers, waterfalls, lakes, montane forest, elfin woodland, subalpine grassland, and unique mountain flora and fauna.
Warning: Gede is dormant with no activity since 1957. Volcanic hazards are low, but the region is seismically active.
Geology and Volcanology
Gede is an andesitic stratovolcano with multiple summit craters. Effusive andesitic lava flows derive from a tholeiitic primary magma source at 120-125 km depth in the Benioff zone. Historical activity has been mild explosive. Due to long dormancy, monitoring relies on regional seismic networks and satellite data from the Indonesian Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).
Current Activity (January 2026)
No volcanic activity has been recorded at Gede since 1957. Occasional regional earthquakes are tectonic. Satellite observations show no thermal anomalies or signs of unrest. The volcano remains dormant.
1991 Earthquake Swarm
Earthquake swarms occurred at Gede volcano in 1991. On 29th April there were 100 earthquakes recorded, compared to the background level of 10-15 per day. On 30th April earthquakes were felt with an intensity of III. On 1st May over 40 earthquakes were measured. Seismicity returned to normal after this and there were no changes to surface activity at the volcano.
1997 Earthquakes
Earthquakes were measured at Gede volcano in August 1997. Volcanic earthquakes were concentrated in vertically elongated zone beneath the summit crater. The depth of hypocenter ranged from 2-8 km below sea level. During the observations, A-type earthquakes with clear P and S-waves were observed at Gede volcano.
Eruption History
1957 Eruption
The eruption on 13th March 1957 followed a roar from the volcano. An ash plume reached 3 km high above the volcano.
1948 Eruptions
In January 1948, explosions occurred on the following dates: 8, 11, 17, 21, 22, 25, 28. The explosion of the 25th was the strongest of the series.
1946 Eruptions
Explosive activity occurred at Gede volcano on 18-19 December 1946.
1840 Eruptions
Several large eruptions occurred in 1840.
Further reading
Hidayat, Dannie, et al. "Volcanic structure under Gede, West Java, Indonesia, results from three-dimensional local earthquake tomography and small long-period earthquake analysis." Geophysical Research Abstracts. Vol. 21. 2019.
Belousov, Alexander, et al. "Volcaniclastic stratigraphy of Gede Volcano, West Java, Indonesia: how it erupted and when." Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 301 (2015): 238-252.
Belousov, A., et al. "Volcaniclastic stratigraphy of Gede volcano in West Java." AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. 2012.
Gede Volcano Eruptions
1957, 1956, 1955?, 1948-49, 1947-48, 1909, 1899, 1891, 1889?, 1887, 1886, 1870, 1866, 1853, 1852, 1848, 1847, 1845, 1843, 1840, 1832, 1761, 1747-48
Dormant since 1957