149 Times Earthquake Falls Mount Merapi

YOGYAKARTA - The Center for Research and Development of Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG) stated that Mount Merapi on the border of DI Yogyakarta and Central Java experienced 149 earthquakes this week.

Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida said apart from avalanche earthquakes, during the observation period, one low-frequency earthquake was recorded, one tectonic earthquake and one gust earthquake.

Based on visual observations, it appears white smoke coming out of Mount Merapi with moderate to thick intensity with a height of about 150 meters above the peak.

Reported by Antara, Wednesday, March 9, during the observation period, seven 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 Merapi's body shape monitored by BPPTKG using electronic distance measurement (EDM) showed an average distance shortening rate of 0.6 cm in three days.

Meanwhile, based on observations of the activity of Mount Merapi for the period 25 February-3 March 2022, BPPTKG stated that there was a morphological change in the southwest lava dome in the form of avalanches, but no significant change in height was observed.

He said the volume of the southwest lava dome of Merapi was 1,578,000 cubic meters and the middle dome was 3,228,000 cubic meters.

BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Standby.

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.