Mount Merapi Releases Hot Clouds As Far As Five Kilometers

YOGYAKARTA - Mount Merapi on the border of the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java launched five hot clouds of avalanches to the southeast with the furthest sliding distance of five kilometers on Wednesday, March 9 evening.

Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) Hanik Humaida in a written statement received in Yogyakarta, Thursday, said that Merapi launched hot clouds on Wednesday (9/3) at 23.18, 23.29, 23.38, 23.44, and 23.53 western Indonesia Time.

According to her, the hot cloud slide recorded on the seismogram has a maximum amplitude of 75 mm and a maximum duration of 570 seconds.

"The glide distance is approximately five kilometers to the southeast. The wind direction is to the northwest," said Hanik as quoted by Antara.

She said that the Babadan Post reported that the ash rain occurred at 23.48 western Indonesia time, during which time Merapi launched hot clouds of avalanches.

According to BPPTKG, Mount Merapi again launched hot clouds of avalanches with a maximum sliding distance of two kilometers to the southeast on Thursday at 00.22, 01.00, 01.22, 01.35, 01.59, and 02.07 western Indonesia time.

Mount Merapi was recorded to launch hot clouds of avalanches with a duration of 191 seconds with a maximum amplitude of 75 mm on Thursday morning.

"Currently, Merapi's activity has slowed down after the hot cloud avalanche, seismicity is dominated by avalanche earthquakes," said Hanik.

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

The lava flows and hot clouds of Merapi can pose a danger in the south-southwest sector which includes the Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, and Bebeng rivers and the southeast sector which includes the Woro River and Gendol River.

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.