Mount Merapi Squirted Volcano-Pyroclastic Flow Twice Today

Glide of hot clouds of Mount Merapi (Photo: Doc BPPTKG)

JAKARTA - The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) noted that Mount Merapi squirted Volcano-Pyroclastic Flow twice today.

Head of the Disaster Management Center for Disaster Management of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Raditya Jati, said that the distance from the Volcano-Pyroclastic Flow reached 1.500 meters to the southwest.

"The first one occurred at 02.03 a.m. local time with an amplitude of 40 millimeters for 134 seconds and an estimated glide distance of 1.300 meters", Raditya said in his statement, Monday, March 22.

Then, the second one was recorded on a seismogram with an amplitude of 48 millimeters for 150 seconds and an estimated distance of 1.500 meters at 05.11 a.m. local time.

When Volcano-Pyroclastic Flow burst, the weather was cloudy and rainy. The wind was blowing weakly to moderate to the east. Then, the air temperature is 14-21 degrees Celsius, air humidity is 75-96 percent, and air pressure is 565-700 mmHg. The volume of rainfall is 3 millimeters per day.

"Based on the results of observations carried out since November 5, 2020, until today, it is concluded that the volcanic activity of Mount Merapi is still quite high in the form of effusive eruptions", said Raditya.

Raditya said that the BPPTKG set Mount Merapi in level III or 'Alert' based on today's Volcano-Pyroclastic Flow gliding activity.

He said the potential danger at this time was in the form of lava avalanches and Volcano-Pyroclastic Flow in the south-southwest sector including the Kuning, Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih rivers as far as a maximum of 5 km and in the southeast sector, namely the Gendol river as far as 3 kilometers.

"Meanwhile, the eruption of volcanic material when an explosive eruption occurs can reach a radius of 3 km from the summit", he said.

Raditya appealed to the public not to carry out any activities in areas of potential danger and to always be aware of the dangers of lava, especially when it rains around Mount Merapi.

"It is recommended that mining activities in the river channel that reaches the head of Mount Merapi in KRB III be temporarily suspended. Tourists are recommended not to carry out activities in areas of potential danger and crater openings as far as 5 kilometers from the summit of Mount Merapi", he concluded.