Mount Sinabung

Question 1

Where is Mount Sinabung located?

Answer 1

Karo District of North Sumatra Province, Indonesia

It is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Question 2

What formed Mount Sinabung?

Answer 2

• Destructive plate boundary between the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plate
• Indo-Australian subducts 5.5 cm per year

Question 3

What type of volcano is Mount Sinabung?

Answer 3

Composite stratovolcano

It has an elevation of 2,500 m.

Question 4

How long was Mount Sinabung dormant before becoming active in 2010?

Answer 4

400 years

Question 5

What was the chronology of the eruptions of Mount Sinabung?

Answer 5

• Eruption in 2010
• Quiet between 2011 and 2013
• Minor eruptions in late 2013 and early 2014
• Major eruption on 1 February 2014

Question 6

What was the impact of Mount Sinabung eruptions on agriculture?

Answer 6

• Farms covered in ash
• 59% of damage in agricultural sector
• Horticultural subsector lost 89% of total monetary value
• 3,550 hectares affected

Karo Regency is a key fruit and vegetable production area.

Question 7

How many people died due to the 2014 eruption of Mount Sinabung?

Answer 7

16

Question 8

How many people were displaced due to the 2014 eruption of Mount Sinabung?

Answer 8

30,000 people to 42 displacement centres

Question 9

What percentage of the regional GDP does Karo Regency contribute to?

Answer 9

61%

Question 10

What percentage of employment does the Karo Regency contribute to?

Answer 10

67%

Question 11

What are the most vulnerable crops against volcanic ash?

Answer 11

• Vegetable crops like chilli, tomato, and potato
• Fruit plants like oranges
• Staple crops like rice and maize

Horticultural crops.

Question 12

What is the regional budget?

Answer 12

$90.4 million

Needs to be used for both development and disaster response.

Question 13

Why is prediction of Mount Sinabung difficult?

Answer 13

It is less studied than more active volcanoes

Question 14

What prediction technology exists for Mount Sinabung?

Answer 14

10 seismic stations

Question 15

What level and when did the Government of Indonesia issue a warning?

Answer 15

• Level 4 Alert
• 21 December 2013
• Established a 5 km evacuation radius

Question 16

How many evacuees were let back into their houses after evacuation?

Answer 16

14,000 one day before the main eruption

Question 17

What was the role of the Indonesian Red Cross during the eruption?

Answer 17

Distributed relief supplies in collaboration with local churches and the government

Question 18

What organisation declared a hazard zone?

Answer 18

• Volcanic and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center
• 10 km radius
• 53 villages evacuated

Question 19

Which local volunteers tried to help residents and what happened to them?

Answer 19

• Indonesian Christian Student Movement
• Pyroclastic flows killed 7 volunteers

Question 20

What NGO sent volunteers to distribute blankets and cooking supplies?

Answer 20

Lutheran World Relief

Question 21

What was the relocation plan for households affected by Mount Sinabung?

Answer 21

• 3 phases to relocate 2,700 households
• Funds provided by the Regional Management Agency
• If land is unavailable, households are given money to find land themselves

Question 22

What changes did farmers make in response to the volcanic activity?

Answer 22

• Decreased the amount of farming land used
• Replaced long duration crops with shorter production cycle plants

Examples include switching from crops with a 16-month production period (chili, tomato, corn) to those harvested in less than 3 months (carrots, beans, and cabbage).

Question 23

What was recommended in terms of disaster education?

Answer 23

• Disaster education to increase community awareness of risk
• Not implemented