Semeru is named from Sumeru, the central world-mountain in Buddhist cosmology.
Semeru also referred to Mahameru (Great Mountain), or Mount Semeru or Gunung Semeru
- located between the regencies of Malang and Lumajang with geographical position
of 8 06' South Latitude and 12 55' East Longitude. The peak of Mount Semeru is
3,676 m above sea level.
Therefore, Mount Semeru is one of the highest mountains on the Java Island. It
is a stratovolcano in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It covers some 800
square kilometers in the centre of East Java. At its northern end is the spectacular
Tengger Caldera, Java's largest, with its 10 km barren desert-like sea of sand.
Within the caldera rise the deeply fissured volcanic cones of Batok and Bromo,
the latter is still active with a cavernous crater from which smoke blows skyward.
Temperatures at the top of mount Bromo range about 5 to 18 degrees Celcius. To
the South is a rolling upland plateau dissected by valleys and dotted with several
small scenic lakes, extending to the foot of Mount Semeru, a towering grey forest-skirted
cone dominating the southern landscape. The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
is one of conservation areas which has been already well known by many people.
This is proved with increasing of people to visit the park with various interests
like for recreation, camping climbing, trekking, education and research.
Realizing that situation, the government had established Bromo Tengger Semeru
National Park area as a nasional park which was established on November 12, 1992
with the decree of Minister of Foresty No.1049/Kpts-Il/1992 with covering an area
of 50.267,3 ha, which administratively is located in 4 regencies of Probolinggo,
Pasuruan, Malang and Lumajang, East Java Province.
Semeru is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. Since 1818, at least 55 eruptions
have been recorded (10 of which resulted in fatalities). The volcano belches out
a huge cloud of steam and smoke every 20 minutes or so and sometimes interspersed
with ash and stones.
Recently, the Indonesian Mount Semeru on East Java was erupted. Precisely on
early Sunday, May 10,2009, it apparently erupted, spewing the smoke and ash high
into the sky and coating a nearby town in black dust’. Recent cold volcanoes also
flood the rivers around the Semeru villages. No evacuation has been ordered but
volcanologists are monitoring the volcano closely ‘for signs of lethal heat clouds’
– the term often used in Indonesia for pyroclastic flows. The Indonesian volcano
logical authorities said they do not need to raised the alert level at Semeru
from the second highest level of ’siaga’ or orange. Proxy 15 sub district areas
of Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia have an ash impact, especially they flow the
agriculture areas.
Because of the erupting volcano, the mountain savannah, and the lake, the sceneries
around here are awesome sight to behold. The mount climbers are often visit this
mount to enjoy its nature scenery and beautiful sunset, look from the peak of
the mount. The beautiful and attractive panorama or special atmosphere can be
found here beside its cool and fresh air. Semeru is a highly popular tourist site
in the province, even among foreign tourists.
