When an environmental crisis occurs, roads and airports get locked down. This is the case in Bali as the citizens and tourists face the rage of the environment.
As of yesterday, Mount Agung has been spewing ash that has led to the evacuation of 10,000 people and the airports on forced lockdown.
The volcano is about 70km from the popular tourist areas of Kuta and Seminyak.
Details on volcanic area
The volcano first began belching thick gas last week.
Officials have been distributing masks for local residents, as ash rains down in the vicinity.
The National Board for Disaster Management raised the alert to level four from 06:00 local time (22:00 GMT Sunday) because of “the possibility and imminent risk of disaster”.
The volcano was seen emitting “continuous ash puffs” occasionally accompanied by “explosive eruptions” and “weak booms” that could be heard 12km (7 miles) away from the summit. The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent.”
Lahars, also known as “cold lava”, are slurries of rock fragments mixed with water, and have been spotted in fields and rivers near the volcano. Lahars may increase due to heavy rain and as Mount Agung continues to emit pyroclastic material.
Authorities also warned of dangerous mudflows. Video released by the BNPB showed water and volcanic debris flowing down the slopes of Mount Agung as rain fell on the island.
People should stay away from rivers because mudflows could move rapidly and were a frequent killer during volcanic eruptions.
Stranded tourists in airports
Bali’s airport has been closed for a second day as plumes of ash continue to gush from a rumbling volcano.
Thousands of tourists, mostly Australians, are stranded at Ngurah Rai International Airport – with flights grounded until at least 7 am on Wednesday.
Experts have raised the alert level to its highest, warning that Mount Agung could erupt at any moment.
Tens of thousands of frightened locals have fled their homes, but it is feared that thousands more have not evacuated because they feel safe or do not want to abandon livestock.
Impact on flights due to ash
The biggest danger of flying through an ash cloud is the impact on the engines.
An erupting volcano spews ash and particles into the sky, predominantly made up of silicates.
The very high temperature inside a jet engine will melt these particles but in cooler parts of the engine, they will solidify again forming a glassy coating.
This disrupts the airflow which can lead to the engine stalling or fail completely.
Aside from shutting down the engines, ash clouds can affect many of the sensors on the plane giving, for instance, faulty speed readings.
It also affects visibility for the pilots and can affect air quality in the cabin – making oxygen masks a necessity.
The sharp particles in the ash also cause abrasions and damage to the exterior of the plane though this is not an immediate danger to the flight.
The worst case scenario is a complete engine failure. It means a big jumbo jet may be forced to turn into a glider within minutes.
However, once an engine stops, it will cool down quickly and when restarted, there is a good chance the solidified material inside will at least partly come loose and the engine can function again.
If the engines were to fail during take-off or landing, there would not be enough time for that and a crash would be highly likely.
On Monday alone, more than 400 flights were canceled at the airport – affecting 60,000 passengers.
The airport on neighboring Lombok Island has now been reopened. Authorities have also arranged for buses to take tourists to ferry terminals.
David Pyle, a volcano expert at Oxford University, said: “What we are seeing at the moment are small explosions, throwing out hot gases and fragments of molten rock, or ash.
“The probability of a large eruption is high, but this may take some days or weeks to unfold.”
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