GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Bromo Volcano In East Java Continues Eruption - Intermittent Ash-Rich Explosions, Ash Venting!

Ash-rich strombolian eruption at Bromo yesterday

February 9, 2016 - INDONESIA - The eruption continues in the form of intermittent small to moderate strombolian-type explosions and minutes-long phases of more or less vigorous ash venting alternating with strong degassing.

Only few incandescent ejecta are being seen at night, but ash emissions are comparably intense and aviation color code of the volcano remains at orange.

Crater glow from Bromo at night

Our friend Øystein Lund Andersen visited the volcano yesterday and reported:

"Heavy degassing was observed during arrival in the afternoon, accompanied by a irregular but periodically heavy rumbling sound. ...

After these periods of calm, larger degassing plumes tend to appear, accompanied by large rumbling sounds and in one case an eruption at 14:14.

The eruption was accompanied by a shock wave, and seconds after an ash plume appeared that reached around 800m in height.

Sounds of falling rocks or blocks was heard seconds after the appearance of the eruption plume. The ash content decreased within 30min after the eruption.
...
Next eruption happened at 15:45, and the ash-plume was sustained for around 45minutes. ...The next eruption started at 16:50. ... Late evening, intense crater-glow was seen minutes before a small eruption (23:41)...

Mt. Bromo volcano in East Java is the active cone inside the giant Tengger caldera, one of Indonesia's most scenic locations destination in East Java, famous for its magnificient sunrise views and the panorama over the caldera with Semeru volcano in the background.

Eruption of Bromo on June 8, 2004.

Background:

The 16-km-wide Tengger caldera is located at the northern end of a volcanic massif extending from Semeru volcano. The massive Tengger volcanic complex dates back to about 820,000 years ago and consists of five overlapping stratovolcanoes, each truncated by a caldera. Lava domes, pyroclastic cones, and a maar occupy the flanks of the massif. The Ngadisari caldera at the NE end of the complex formed about 150,000 years ago and is now drained through the Sapikerep Valley. The most recent of the Tengger calderas is the 9 x 10 km wide Sandsea Caldera at the SW end of the complex, which formed incrementally during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. An overlapping cluster of post-caldera cones was constructed on the floor of the Sandsea Caldera within the last several thousand years. The youngest of these is Bromo, one of Java's most active and most frequently visited volcanoes.

- Volcano Discovery.