Why Six Indonesian Volcanoes Erupted Together: Overlapping Magma Cycles

Anak Krakatau, Semeru, Lewotolo, Ibu, Dukono and Sinabung all erupted in a short span, creating a rare ash event even though Indonesia is home to about 500 volcanoes. The ash cloud spread across parts of Java and Sumatra, grounding flights and affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and hosts 127 active volcanoes. According to the US‑funded Smithsonian Institution, 55 Indonesian volcanoes have erupted since 1960 – more than any other country.

Researcher Indranova Suhendro, an assistant professor at Gadjah Mada University’s Faculty of Geography, explains that each volcano has its own magma system and eruption cycle. This time the independent cycles of the six volcanoes simply overlapped, so the eruptions happened together by coincidence.

External events such as earthquakes can sometimes influence an individual volcanic system, but one volcano would not trigger another because they have separate systems and are located far apart.

The simultaneous ash plumes disrupted thousands of flights and reminded residents that even distant eruptions can affect daily life, highlighting the need for constant monitoring of Indonesia’s many volcanoes.

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