Mt. Kelud volcano on the island of Java, East Java, Indonesia appears to be undergoing a sizable eruption. Erik Klemetti at Wired’s Eruptions blog says the news suggests “ash falling upwards of 15-40 km from the volcano, some of it gravel-sized.” According to AP, Indonesia officials say thousands are being evacuated on the densely populated island of Java, where the volcano is located. The eruption apparently began at 23:29 local time today (February 13, 2014). The eruption took place about 90 minutes after the alert status for the volcano had been raised to its highest level.
About 200,000 people living in 36 villages within the danger zone of 6 miles from the crater. They have been urged to evacuate.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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