Yesterday, Wednesday 16 February, Mount Merapi Experienced 128 Earthquakes Avalanches

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) stated that Mount Merapi on the border of DI Yogyakarta and Central Java experienced 128 avalanches during the observation period on Wednesday, February 16 at 00.00-24.00 WIB.

Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida through his official statement in Yogyakarta, said that in addition to avalanche earthquakes, during the observation period 17 hybrid or multiple-phase earthquakes were recorded, three gusts earthquakes, eight shallow volcanic earthquakes, and one tectonic earthquake.

Based on visual observations, it appears white smoke is coming out of Mount Merapi with moderate intensity and thick with a height of about 100 meters above the peak.

During the observation period, five incandescent lava avalanches were recorded from the mountain with a maximum sliding distance of 1,800 meters to the southwest.

The deformation or changes in the shape of Merapi's body, which was monitored by BPPTKG using electronic distance measurement (EDM) on February 16, 2022, showed an average distance shortening rate of 0.4 cm in three days.

Meanwhile, based on the results of morphological analysis in the period 4 to 10 February 2022, no significant morphological changes were observed, either in the southwest lava dome or the middle dome of Merapi.

The volume of the lava dome in the southwest is recorded at 1,670,000 cubic meters and the central dome at 3,007,000 cubic meters.

BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Alert, Thursday, February 17, quoted from Antara.

The current potential hazards are lava avalanches and hot clouds in the south-southwest sector covering the Boyong River for a maximum of 5 km, and the Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng rivers for a maximum of 7 km.

Meanwhile, the southeast sector covers the Woro River for a maximum of 3 km and the Gendol River for a maximum of 5 km.

If the volcano experiences an explosive eruption, the ejection of volcanic material can reach an area within a radius of three kilometers from the top of the mountain.