Mount Merapi Vomits Incandescent Lava Falls Up To 17 Times With A Luncur Distance Of 1.5 KM

JAKARTA - Mount Merapi on the border of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta on Saturday, March 18 emitted incandescent lava 17 times with a sliding distance of 1,500 meters.

Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) Agus Budi Santoso in his official statement in Yogyakarta, explained that based on observations from 00.00 WIB to 06.00 WIB, the incandescent lava avalanche slid to the southwest or Bebeng River.

"There were 17 incandescent lava avalanches with a maximum sliding distance of 1,500 meters to the southwest or Bebeng River," he said.

During the observation period, according to BPPTKG, Mount Merapi also experienced 37 avalanches with an amplitude of 3-38 mm for 19.1-152.8 seconds, four times a multi-phase earthquake with an amplitude of 3-4 mm for 6.2-9.1 seconds, one shallow volcanic earthquake with an amplitude of 31 mm for 8.9 seconds, and a distant tectonic earthquake with an amplitude of 9 mm for 19.8 seconds.

The smoke from the weak pressure crater above the peak of Merapi was observed to be white with moderate intensity and a height of 75-150 meters above the crater peak.

During the observation period Friday (17/3) at 18.00-24.00 WIB, Mount Merapi twice launched hot clouds of avalanches with a maximum sliding distance of 1,300 meters to the southwest.

In addition, lava avalanches were also observed 23 times with a sliding distance of 1,800 meters to the southwest.

BPPTKG still maintains the Alert status or Level III set since November 2020.

The current potential danger is in the form of lava avalanches and hot clouds falling, namely in the Woro River as far as 3 km from the summit, Kali Gendol as far as 5 km from the summit.

In addition, the potential danger is also in Kali Boyong as far as 5 km from the summit, as well as the Bedog River, Krasak, Bebeng as far as 7 km from the summit.

Meanwhile, the ejection of volcanic material in the event of an explosive eruption can reach a radius of 3 km from the summit.

BPPTKG also appealed to the public to be aware of the dangers of lahars in the river channel upstream of Merapi, especially when it rains at the top of the mountain.