Agung Volcano

Updated: Nov 12, 2025 12:09 GMT - refresh

Stratovolcano

Bali (Indonesia), -8.34°S / 115.51°E

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Summit height: 3142 m (10,308 ft)

Current status: minor activity or eruption warning (3 out of 5)

Last update: 11 Sep 2025 (Smithsonian Daily Volcanic Activity Report)

Mount Agung, Bali, Indonesia - Photo by Thomas Heuer

Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a active volcano in Bali. This stratovolcano is the highest point on the island. It dominates the surrounding area influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.

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Typical eruption style: Highly explosive.
Agung volcano eruptions: 1808, 1821(?), 1843, 1963-64 (large Plinian eruption on March 16, 1963), 2017-ongoing

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Nov 3, 12:56 am (Makassar)	1.9 11 km	22 km (14 mi) to the W	Bali Region, Indonesia	Info
Thursday, October 30, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 30, 08:53 am (Makassar)	2.2 13 km	14 km (8.4 mi) to the N	Bali Region, Indonesia	Info
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Oct 30, 02:48 am (Makassar)	1.8 13 km	27 km (17 mi) to the NW	Kabupaten Bangli, 28 km east of Singaraja, Indonesia	Info

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Background

Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a mountain in Bali. This stratovolcano is the highest point on the island. It dominates the surrounding area influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.

Gunung Agung last erupted in 1963-64 and is still active, with a large and very deep crater which occasionally belches smoke and ash. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical, despite the existence of the large crater.

From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok, although both mountains are frequently covered in cloud.

The 1963 eruption of Agung volcano
After more than 100 years of slumber, Mt. Agung came back to life on February 18, 1963. Loud noises and a cloud rising from the crater were noticed, then the ejection of bombs and blocks.
On February 24, 1963, highly viscous lava flows began to travel down the northern flank of the volcano, reaching a length of 7 km in about 18 to 20 days and an elevation of 510 m above sea level. The flows were about 0.5-0.8 km wide and 30-40 m thick. Rough estimates indicate a total volume of these flows of about 50 million cubic meters.
After that phase, the eruption became more and more explosive, and on March 17, 1963, the paroxysmal sub-Plinian eruption took place, generating a eruptino column of 8-10 km height that collapsed to form devastating pyroclastic flows. These flows reached distances of up to 15 km from the crater following vallezs to the south and east, at speeds of about 60 km/hour. Many villages were destroyed and more than 1000 people lost their lives. Heavy tephra fall occurred in areas west of the volcano, where up to 50-70 cm of ash were deposited.
In May, the south peak of the crater wall collapsed, lowering its height for about 200 meters. The lowest crater wall at present is the upper end of Langon river (2600 m).

Agung Volcano Photos

View of Batur volcano (1,717 m) from the peak of Agung (3,142 m) at night. (Photo: Anton Jankovoy)

Red scoria layers and lava flows in the crater walls of Agung volcano, Bali (Photo: ThomasH)

Agung volcano, Bali's holy mountain. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

At the crater rim of Agung volcano, Bali, Indonesia (Photo: ThomasH)

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Significant volcanic eruptions: Agung volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Agung has had at least 4 confirmed eruptions, all documented by historical records or observations. There is one uncertain or discredited eruption in 1821 from Agung volcano.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Agung volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Agung can be found on the news page of Agung volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths
2017 Nov 21 - 2019 Jun 13	Summit crater Historical obs./docs.	3
1963 Feb 18 - 1964 Jan 27	Historical obs./docs.	5
1963 May 16 (eruption 1963 Feb 18 - 1964 Jan 27)	Historical obs./docs.	3	120	Info
1963 May 16: The Agung Volcano began erupting in February and continued for almost a year. The stage of paroxysm I, the first most destructive event, occurred on March 17. The paroxysm II was on May 16. 1963, March 17. Surjo gives: 820 killed, 59 injured by pyroclastic flows, 163 and 201 by pyroclastic fall, 165 and 36 by lahars. Bodies of about half victims never found. Perhaps 140 killed at Subagan village by lahar plus others swept to sea and killed crossing lahar fileds during rainy season. Also, 8 killed by landslides on Batur caldera rim. 1,148 represents most recent official figure, presumably including 120 pyroclastic flow fatalities on May 16. Perhaps 200 of the lahar deaths occurred after the eruption. Keesings suggests 1,584 killed in the March eruption and 106 in the May eruption. (reference #9675) Cited references #9675 Siebert, Lee, Tom Simkin, Paul Kimberly (2010): Fatalities & Evacuations, Volcanoes of the World, Third Edition, Geoscience Press, Inc., University of California Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., p. 329-347. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1963 Mar 18 (eruption 1963 Feb 18 - 1964 Jan 27)	Tsunami recorded Historical obs./docs.	5	1,028	Info
1963 Mar 18: The Agung Volcano began erupting in February and continued for almost a year. The stage of paroxysm I, the first most destructive event, occurred on March 17. The paroxysm II was on May 16. 1963, March 17. Surjo gives: 820 killed, 59 injured by pyroclastic flows, 163 and 201 by pyroclastic fall, 165 and 36 by lahars. Bodies of about half victims never found. Perhaps 140 killed at Subagan village by lahar plus others swept to sea and killed crossing lahar fileds during rainy season. Also, 8 killed by landslides on Batur caldera rim. 1,148 represents most recent official figure, presumably including 120 pyroclastic flow fatalities on May 16. Perhaps 200 of the lahar deaths occurred after the eruption. Keesings suggests 1,584 killed in the March eruption and 106 in the May eruption. (reference #9675) Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. #9675 Siebert, Lee, Tom Simkin, Paul Kimberly (2010): Fatalities & Evacuations, Volcanoes of the World, Third Edition, Geoscience Press, Inc., University of California Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., p. 329-347. #10953 Siebert, Lee, Tom Simkin, Paul Kimberly (2010): Volcanoes of the World, Third Edition, Geoscience Press, Inc., University of California Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 551 p. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1843	Historical obs./docs.	5
?? 1821 Mar 16	Uncertain Eruption	2
1808	Historical obs./docs.	2

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Agung Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Agung volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Agung occurred during 2017 - 2019.

+How often does Agung volcano erupt?

Since 1808, Agung volcano has had at least 4 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 54 years.
Many eruptions of Agung have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 7 out of 217 years until now. In other words, Agung has been active at least one in 31 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Agung is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.

+How active is Agung volcano at present?

Agung volcano is occasionally active: Since 1900, it has had 5 eruptions, and been active during 5 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Agung has been in eruption one in 25.2 years on average. The last eruption was from 2017 until 2019 and ended 6 years ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Agung volcano?

The largest eruption of Agung volcano in historic times occurred during 1963 - 1964. It ranks as a plinian eruption with a magnitude 5 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale. Eruption of this size are often catastrophic on a regional scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Agung Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).