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Monitoring at
Semeru
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Typical monitoring of Semeru
Monitoring at Semeru is
difficult to determine because of the lack of
volcanologists in Indonesia and the infrequency of
reports on the volcanoes activity.
Through the use of the
Smithonian's Global Volcanism Project it can be
determined that there is seismic monitoring at Semeru.
However, it is unclear how many seismometers they have
stationed on the volcano or where they are in relation
to the volcano. Most of the monitoring at Semeru
seems to simply be visual. The majority of reports
on the volcanoes behavior are measurements of the height
of ash columns, often reported by pilots or by officials
making weekly walks around the crater area. On
days where there is heavy cloud cover at the summit of
the volcano the only reports available are those of
seismic activity. There are no gas monitors in
place on Semeru.1
A new form of monitoring
has come into existence recently through the internet.
Using Global Area Coverage (GAC) satellites with
Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR) are
being used more and more regularly to monitor volcanic
activity. The data from the GAC satellites has now
become available for free on the internet. British
scientists have used this technology to monitor the
volcanoes of Indonesia, including Semeru. Thermal
imaging from the satellites showed that the vent of
Semeru is constantly open. The use of the Global
Area Coverage satellites with AVHRR can now be used to
greatly improve the monitoring of volcanoes that have
little monitoring, like those in Indonesia.2
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