Our expedition leader Andi visited the volcano and the observatory and confirms that seismic activity and degassing from the lake have decreased during the past 2-3 weeks. However, PVMBG ( the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia) still keeps the status at level 3 ("eruption warning") and the crater is off-limits to tourists. [less]

Measurements of the park showed dangerously high levels of SO2 at the crater. Volcanic tremor and earthquakes are at fluctuating elevated numbers and intensity.
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CVGHM raised the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) on 9 March. Residents and tourists were prohibited from going within a 1-km-radius of the active crater.
Lamongan is a small, relatively unknown stratovolcano east of the large Tengger massif (which contains the famous Bromo volcano). It was very active in the 19th century when it produced several lava flows, but has remained more or less silent during the past 110 years. [less]

A new 10 m wide gas vent, which erupted buring gasses, was observed on 10 March at 17 m distance from the shore. Thick steaming, larger than usual, forming a thick white column of sulfur steam 200 m high was already noted since 3 March. Measurements of the lake water temperature at 5 m depth had also shown increased values of 42.70 deg C.
On 10 March, the lake surface was 2 meters higher than normal, although this could be attributed to heavy recent rain fall. [less]

The decision was based on measurements of decreasing seismic, visual and temperature parameters that are regularly monitored at the volcano:
1) Decreasing steaming and bubbling from the lake was visually observed during the past weeks. [less]

Only small to moderate eruptions had been occurring over most of the past year. Between 29 December and 15 January, 8 explosions were counted which produced ash clouds up to 600 m high. One explosion threw incandescent bombs to a distance of 300 m from the Jonggring Seloko crater. During 15-29 January, only weak explosions were recorded and a small steam and ash plume rising 25-50 m was observed.
Between 30 and 31 January, 5 explosions were recorded. They produced incandescent fallout in up to 400 m distance. On 2 February at 07:47 local time, a stronger explosion produced incandescent bombs that reached 750 m distance and caused a small avalanche of blocks rolling down a distance of up to 2.5 km (note: no pyroclastic flows). The heightened activity triggered the raise in alert level the following day. [less]