Mount Merapi Shocks The Fall Of Lava 13 Rivers During The Week

Mount Merapi/ Photo: Bitor Ekin Putra

YOGYAKARTA - The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) said Mount Merapi on the border of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta issued lava avalanches 13 times during observations from 18 to 24 November 2022.

"This week, incandescent lava avalanches were observed 13 times to the southwest or upstream of Bebeng River with a maximum sliding distance of 1,600 meters," said Head of BPPTKG Agus Budi Santoso in a written statement, Sunday, November 27.

During the observation, according to him, the sound of avalanches was heard three times from the Babadan Post with moderate intensity.

Agus said that based on morphological analysis from Deles 5 camera station, Tunggullarum, Ngepos, and Babadan 2, no growth was observed in the lava dome in the southwest and central part of Merapi.

The volume of the southwest dome of Merapi remains at 1,616,500 cubic meters, and for the central dome is 2,772,000 cubic meters.

Meanwhile, the intensity of Merapi's seismicity over the past week, according to him, is still quite high.

Meanwhile, the deformation of Mount Merapi, which was monitored using EDM and GPS this week, did not show any significant changes.

This week there was rain at the Mount Merapi Observation Post with a rainfall intensity of 24 mm per hour for 100 minutes at the Kaliurang Post on November 22, 2022.

"There were no reports of lahars or additional flow in the rivers that originate at Mount Merapi," said Agus Budi.

Until now, BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Alert.

The lava fall and hot clouds from Mount Merapi can have an impact on areas in the south-southwest sector which includes the Boyong River (a maximum of five km) and the Bedog River, Krasak, Bebeng (a maximum of seven km).

In addition, lava avalanches and hot clouds from Mount Merapi can have an impact on areas in the southeast sector which include the Woro River (a maximum of three km) and the Gendol River (a distance of five km).

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