Merapi Launches Two Kilometers Of Volcanic Clouds

Mount Merapi (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - Mount Merapi on the border of the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java launched hot clouds of avalanches up to two kilometers to the southwest on Saturday at 07.40 western Indonesia time.

"Heat clouds of avalanches were recorded on a seismogram with an amplitude of 60 mm and a duration of 158 seconds," said Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) Hanik Humaida in a written statement from BPPTKG received in Yogyakarta.

During the observation period from 00.00 to 06.00 western Indonesia time, Hanik explained, Mount Merapi was recorded to have launched four incandescent lava avalanches with a maximum sliding distance of 1,200 meters to the southwest.

The active volcano was also detected experiencing 60 avalanches with an amplitude of 3-55 mm for 7-113 seconds, three gusts earthquakes with an amplitude of 3-4 mm for 12-13 seconds, one hybrid/multi-phase earthquake with an amplitude of 13 mm. for 7 seconds, and four shallow volcanic earthquakes with an amplitude of 35-70 mm for 8-16 seconds.

Previously, Hanik said that Mount Merapi is currently entering the extrusion phase or the phase of magma coming out of the mountain's surface.

Mount Merapi has experienced an increase in seismic activity since April 2021 but its seismic activity then decreased on August 6, 2021. The decrease in seismic activity marked the start of the magma extrusion phase.

Until now, the status of the volcanic activity of Mount Merapi is at level III or Alert.

The lava fall and hot clouds of Mount Merapi are expected to have an impact on the south-southwest sector, which includes the Yellow, Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih rivers.

When an eruption occurs, the ejection of volcanic material from Mount Merapi is estimated to be able to reach an area within a radius of three kilometers from the top of the mountain.