Mount Agung in Bali Erupted

Sumber :

VIVAnews - 46 years ago today, on 18 February 1963, Gunung Agung or Mount Agung on the island of Bali erupted.

Mount Agung is the highest point in Bali. From the summit of the 3,142 meters tall volcano, climbers could see the summit of Mount Rinjani on Sumbawa Island.

After more than hundred years of peaceful slumber, the giant volcano reawakened on 18 February 1963. During the first phase of the eruption, Mount Agung ejected ashes and debris from its huge crater.

A few days later, on 24 February 1963, highly viscous lava flows were generated, traveling up to 7 km from the summit to the north. The flows were about 0.5 to 0.8 kilometers wide and 30 to 40 meters thick.

Soon, the eruption became more and more violent. On 17 March 1963, large pyroclastic flows began to travel down the southern and eastern sides of the volcano up to 15 km from its crater.

Many villages were destroyed resulting in a death toll of more than 1,000 people. In May 1963, the south peak of the crater wall collapsed, lowering the height of Mount Agung by about 200 meters.

Given the scale and nature of the damage, the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung is considered by many scientists as one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th Century