Check Volcanic Ash Near You
View the latest volcanic ash spread across Indonesia and check whether your area is inside an observed or forecast ash zone.
AshWatch is a volcanic ash map for Indonesia that helps people visualize current ash areas and forecasts from active volcanoes. Search for a location or use your current position to see whether it overlaps an observed or forecast volcanic ash area (peta sebaran abu vulkanik).
Check My Area
Determine if your location overlaps active or forecast volcanic ash
Current Volcanic Ash Areas
6 active areas across Indonesia · Sourced from Darwin VAAC
LEWOTOLOK
INDONESIADUKONO
INDONESIASEMERU
INDONESIAKRAKATAU
INDONESIAIBU
INDONESIASINABUNG
INDONESIAWhat Is Volcanic Ash?
Volcanic ash (abu vulkanik) consists of microscopic, pulverized rock fragments, minerals, and volcanic glass expelled violently into the atmosphere during explosive eruptions. Unlike soft wood ash from a campfire, volcanic ash particles are extremely hard, abrasive, and chemically reactive.
Once launched into the air, high-altitude winds carry ash clouds across hundreds or thousands of kilometers. This is why ash can affect cities, islands, and airspace located far away from the erupting volcano summit.
How Ash Spreads Across Indonesia
Indonesia sits directly along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Regional monsoons and upper-troposphere winds dictate the direction and speed of ash dispersal, often carrying plumes across major airports such as Jakarta (CGK), Bali (DPS), Surabaya (SUB), and Lombok (LOP).
Volcanic Ash Map Indonesia
The AshWatch interactive map gives travelers, residents, and observers a clear, geographic view of current and projected volcanic ash clouds in Indonesia. Rather than reading dense telex bulletins, users can visually inspect:
Neutral gray-white translucent polygons showing where ash is actively observed right now.
Progressive orange layers predicting ash movement at +6, +12, and +18 hours.
Exact summit positions, primary flight level altitudes, and wind drift vectors.
Check If Your Area Is Affected
AshWatch makes checking your location quick and effortless:
- 1Search for your city, town, or airport, or tap “Use My Location” (GPS).
- 2AshWatch automatically tests your coordinates against active ash polygon boundaries.
- 3Receive an immediate, understandable result: CLEAR, ASH AREA, or FORECAST OVERLAP.
No active ash detected in this area. Shows distance in km to the nearest ash cloud.
Location is currently inside an observed ash cloud. Shows altitude, movement, and volcano.
Currently outside observed ash, but future forecast model (+6h, +12h, or +18h) overlaps.
Active Volcanoes in Indonesia
AshWatch visualizes public ash advisories associated with active Indonesian volcanic summits, including Krakatau (Sunda Strait), Semeru (East Java), Lewotolok (Flores), Ibu (Halmahera), Dukono (Halmahera), and Marapi (West Sumatra).
How to Read the Ash Map
Current active cloud detected by satellites at bulletin issuance time.
Projected dispersion path over 6, 12, and 18 hours with progressive opacity.
Vertical height of the ash cloud expressed in hundreds of feet above sea level.
Wind drift direction (compass heading) and velocity in knots.
Is AshWatch an Official Government Service?
AshWatch is an independent visualization tool using publicly available volcanic ash information from the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), managed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. It is not an official government agency, civil protection authority, or certified aviation flight dispatch system.
Always consult official certified sources such as AirNav Indonesia, PVMBG/MAGMA Indonesia, local BPBD disaster agencies, and your airline for travel decisions or evacuation instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical information on how to interpret the volcanic ash map and check your area.
What does the orange area mean?↓
How do I know if my location is affected?↓
What is observed ash?↓
What does +6h / +12h / +18h mean?↓
Why can ash move away from the volcano?↓
Is AshWatch an official warning system?↓
How often is the data updated?↓
Where does AshWatch get its volcanic ash data?↓
What is the role of Darwin VAAC, BMKG, and PVMBG?↓
Can I use this to decide whether it is safe to travel?↓
AshWatch visualizes public volcanic ash advisories from Darwin VAAC. It is not an official safety or evacuation service.