Sinabung: pyroclastic flows

The eruption of Mount Sinabung started in September 2013, with series of small explosive eruptions. A  lava dome begun to grow in December and some weeks later first pyroclastic flows occurred. The Geonauts reached the volcano in mid-January 2014. We documented the eruption for one week. On some days the volcano was covered by clouds, or the activity was less. But during two nights we observed plenty pyroclastic flows. In some of them we observed volcanic lightning in the rising ash clouds. Most appeared in the night of the 14th January.

The village Sigarang Garang was very badly damaged by the eruption. Many roofs had collapsed under the weight of volcanic ash.