The Height Of The Mount Merapi Lavabah Rises About One Memeter!

Photo via AntaraWarga saw the lava dome of Mount Merapi from Kaliurang, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Sunday (9/1/2022). (ANTARA PHOTO/Hendra Nurdiyansyah)

JAKARTA - The height of the southwest lava dome of Mount Merapi has actually increased by about one meter based on observations for a week.

"In the southwest dome, an additional dome height of approximately one meter is observed," said Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG), Agus Budi Santoso in Yogyakarta, Monday, October 3, as reported by Antara.

According to him, the increase in the height of the southwest lava dome of Merapi is known from morphological analysis based on observations from Deles 5 and Babadan 2 Camera Stations during the period from 23 to 29 September 2022.

The results of the BPPTKG analysis show that the volume of the southwest lava dome of Merapi reaches 1,637,000 cubic meters and the volume of the central dome is 2,772,000 cubic meters.

"There has been no significant morphological change for the middle dome," said Agus.

He said that during the period from 23 to 29 September 2022, Mount Merapi had launched lava flows to the southwest, mostly towards the Bebeng River, with a maximum sliding distance of 1,800 meters.

During that period, Mount Merapi was also recorded as experiencing 218 deep volcanic earthquakes, 18 shallow volcanic earthquakes, 137 multi-phase earthquakes, 403 avalanches, 50 gusts, and seven tectonic earthquakes.

Until now, BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi on the border of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta at Level III or Alert.

The lava fall and hot clouds from Mount Merapi can have an impact on areas within the south-southwest sector which includes the Boyong River (a maximum of five km) and the Bedog River, Krasak, Bebeng (a maximum of seven km).

In addition, lava avalanches and hot clouds from Mount Merapi can have an impact on areas in the southeast sector which includes the Woro River (a maximum of three km) and the Gendol River (a distance of five km).

If the volcano experiences an explosive eruption, Agus said, the ejection of volcanic material can reach an area within a radius of three kilometers from the top of the mountain.