Four volcanoes across Indonesia erupted within a short period on September 6, 2026, creating striking scenes of volcanic activity across the country.
The eruptions involved Mount Ibu in North Maluku, Ili Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara, Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait, and Mount Semeru in East Java. Indonesia’s Geological Agency data showed the eruptions occurred at different times during the morning, with observed ash columns ranging from roughly 400 meters to 1,000 meters above their respective peaks.
Despite their close timing, experts said the eruptions were not part of a connected chain reaction.
Disaster expert Daryono explained that there is no single underground magma channel linking the four volcanoes or their magma chambers. Each volcano operates through its own magmatic system and can reach an eruptive stage independently.
Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where interactions between major tectonic plates make volcanic activity especially common. Experts therefore described the unusual timing as separate volcanic processes happening to overlap rather than one eruption triggering another.