Merapi Launches 2 Times Hot Clouds Fall Up To 3 Kilometers

YOGYAKARTA - Mount Merapi on the border of the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java launched two hot clouds of avalanches with a maximum glide distance of three kilometers to the southwest.

Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) Hanik Humaida explained that the hot cloud avalanche in the first observation occurred at 20.00 WIB with a sliding distance of approximately 2.2 km to the southwest.

"It was recorded on the seismogram with an amplitude of 62 mm and a maximum duration of 186 seconds," he said, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, December 1.

Furthermore, hot clouds of avalanches were observed again at 21.04 WIB with a sliding distance of three kilometers to the southwest, a maximum amplitude of 41 mm, and a duration of 702 seconds.

During the observation period on Wednesday, from 12.00 to 18.00 WIB, Mount Merapi was also recorded to experience 34 avalanches with an amplitude of 3-60 mm for 49-182 seconds, three gusts with an amplitude of 3-19 mm for 19-27 seconds, and four earthquakes with an amplitude of 3-19 mm. multiphase earthquake with an amplitude of 3-9 mm for 8-11 seconds.

Based on visual observations of the activity of Mount Merapi for the period 19-25 November 2021, BPPTKG stated that there were no significant morphological changes, both in the southwest dome and the middle dome of Merapi.

The volume of the southwest lava dome was recorded at 1,610,000 cubic meters and the central dome at 2,927,000 cubic meters.

BPPTKG until now maintains the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Alert.

Residents are asked to be aware of the potential impact of lava avalanches and hot clouds of Mount Merapi in the south-southwest sector which includes the Yellow, Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih rivers.

If an eruption occurs, the ejection of volcanic material from Mount Merapi can reach an area within a radius of three kilometers from the top of the mountain.