Mountain type Stratovolcano Last eruption 1985 | Elevation 875 m Province East Nusa Tenggara | |
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Similar Sangeang Api, Lewotobi, Mount Gamkonora, Dukono, Karangetang | ||
Paluweh, also known as Rokatenda, is a stratovolcano that forms the small island of Palu'e, north of Flores Island in Sikka Regency in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. While the volcano rises about 3,000 m (9,840 ft) above the sea floor, its cone rises just 875 metres (2,871 ft) above sea level and is the highest point on the island.
Contents
- Map of Paluweh Rokirole Palue Sikka Regency East Nusa Tenggara Indonesia
- Eruption history
- 1928
- 20122013
- August 2013
- References
Map of Paluweh, Rokirole, Palue, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
The broad summit region contains overlapping craters up to 900 m (2,950 ft) wide along with several lava domes. Several flank vents occur along a northwest trending fissure.
Eruption history
Eruptions of VEI 3 have occurred in 1650 ± 50, 1928 and 1972. On 16 January 2005, there were signs of a pending eruption, causing the mountain to be placed under alert status.
1928
The biggest eruption (VEI 3) occurred on August 4, – September 25, 1928, the eruption caused a tsunami and earthquake. The population of Palu'e island was 266 people at that period.
2012–2013
In late 2012 the mountain became quite active, spewing volcanic ash. In November 2012, and continuing into 2013, a 3 km exclusion zone was set up and residents living around the mountain were evacuated or moved to Maumere city on the main island of Flores. In the first 8 months of 2013 there was regular activity from the lava dome including repeated ash plumes – generally reaching altitudes of 2–3 km – dome collapses, explosions, avalanches and pyroclastic flows.
August 2013
On 10 August 2013, the mountain erupted for about seven minutes and spewed ash and smoke about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) into the air. Initial reports have a death toll of six. The victims included three adults and two children but the age of the sixth victim is unclear. The bodies of the adults have been recovered from Ponge beach in Rokirole village but the remains of the children have not yet been found. A number of the island residents refused to leave the island after an earlier mandatory evacuation order had been issued; they had grown accustomed to the volcanic activity.