Mount Merapi's Volcanic Activity Is Still High, BPPTKG Asks Residents To Be Alert

Mount Merapui (Photo: IG @kenang_dwi)

JAKARTA - The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) stated that the activity of Mount Merapi, which is located on the border of Yogyakarta and Central Java, is still high, based on observations from April 30 to May 6, 2021, so there has been no change in status.

"The volcanic activity of Mount Merapi is still quite high in the form of effusive eruption activity. The activity status is set at the Alert level", said Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, May 8.

Hanik explained that during the week's observations, Merapi threw hot clouds of avalanches with a maximum sliding distance of 2,000 meters to the southwest.

Mount Merapi has also been observed launching 74 times lava avalanches with an estimated maximum glide distance of 2,000 meters to the southwest and twice to the southeast as far as 600 meters. "The intensity of the seismicity this week is higher than last week", said Hanik.

Based on BPPTKG records, the volume of the two lava domes on Mount Merapi continues to increase. The volume of the lava dome in the middle of the summit crater of Mount Merapi is estimated to have reached 1,700,000 cubic meters with a growth rate of 14,000 cubic meters per day.

Meanwhile, the volume of the dome in the southwest sector based on the results of photo analysis is 1,100,000 cubic meters with a growth rate of 17,000 cubic meters per day.

Meanwhile, the deformation or body shape change of Mount Merapi which was monitored using EDM and GPS this week also did not show any shortening rate of 0.6 cm per day.

"There have been no reports of lahars or additional flow in rivers that originate in Merapi", he said.

The BPPTKG has until now maintained the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Alert.

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

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