Volcano Live

(Api Siau)
Siau Island, Sangihe Islands, Indonesia

2.47 N, 125.29 E
summit elevation 1784 m
stratovolcano

Karangetang Volcano is located in central Sangihe Islands, Indonesia. It is an impressive stratovolcano rising 1784 m above sea level and 2700 m above the ocean floor. The summit contains five nested craters aligned in a north--south direction, the largest of which is 350 m in diameter.

2022 Activity
incandescence from Karangetang’s N crater between 5-10 January 2022 indicated ongoing activity at the volcano.

2018 Eruption
An eruption occurred at Karangetang volcano on 2nd February 2018. Ash rose 600 m above the crater. The alert level was raised to YELLOW.

2013 Eruptions
Satellite images showed a hotspot over the volcano in January 2013, indicating ongoing eruptions.

2011 Eruptions
Eruptions of Karangetang Volcano occurred in March 2011. The eruption produced pyroclastic flows. Karangetang volcano was raised to level 3 alert in August 2011. On 8th July 2011 at 23:23 hr a phreatic eruption occurred north of the Main Crater with an eruption height of 150 m. On 24th July a pyroclastic flow extended 1.5 km from the main crater. On 1st August at 17:54 hr incandescent lava avalanches occurred extending a distance of about 1500 m from the Main Crater. On 7th August at 22:30 hr eruption sounds were heard from the crater, while the mountain was covered in mist. Between July 31 to August 7 2011 there were 61 avalanche earthquakes and periods of volcanic tremor. People were advised not to climb the volcano more than 500 m in height from the sea.

2009 Earthquake
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit 40 km southwest of Karangetang volcano on 9th November 2009.

2009 Eruption
An eruption occurred at Karangetang volcano, Indonesia on 31st May 2009. Hundreds of people were evacuated from near the volcano, due to fears of pyroclastic flows.

2008 Eruptions
Seismic activity increased at Karangetang volcano on 28th November 2008. On 29th November ash emissions reached an altitude of 2.2 km, and incandescent rockslides from the main crater travelled 250 m S towards the Bahembang River, 250 m W towards the Beha Timur River, and 500-1,000 m S towards the Keting River.

2007 Eruptions
On 25th June 2007, an explosion ejected incandescent lava 750 m high, and a lava avalanche travelled 1 km down the Nawitu river and 400 m down the Bahambang river. There was an increase in eruptions in August and the alert status was increased to 3 (on a scale of 1-4). On 19th August a lava avalanche reached the coastal villages of Karalung and Hiung.

1980 Eruption
In July--September, 1980 there was explosive activity from the summit.

1979 Eruption
In 1979 an explosion produced a new crater of the north-northwest flank at the 1300 m elevation.

1976 Eruption
In 1976 the first recorded eruption outside the summit crater occurred, with a 0.2 cubic km andesite block flow erupted from a vent on the southern slope, 2 km from the summit. One person was killed and another injured while viewing the lava flow. Lava destroyed a bridge, 24 homes, and destroyed 37,500 coconut, clove, and nutmeg trees.

Eruptions from 1675 to 1976
Eruptions were confined to the summit crater.

Further reading
Morrice, M. G., et al. "An introduction to the Sangihe arc: Volcanism accompanying arc-arc collision in the Molucca Sea, Indonesia." Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 19.1-2 (1983): 135-165