Mount Merapi Launches Incandescent Lava 15 Times On Tuesday Morning, Alert Level

Mount Merapi's incandescent lava avalanche can be seen from Turi, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Monday (13/3/2023). According to BPPTKG data for the observation period March 13, 2023 at 00.00-06.00 WIB/ANTARA

YOGYAKARTA - Mount Merapi on the border of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta released incandescent lava 15 times with a maximum sliding distance of 1,700 meters this morning. Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) Agus Budi Santoso explained, based on observations from 00.00 WIB to 06.00 WIB, the incandescent lava avalanche slid to the southwest or Bebeng River. "There were 15 incandescent lava avalanches to the southwest (K.Bebebeng) with a maximum sliding distance of 1,700 meters," Agus said in his official statement in Yogyakarta, Antara, Tuesday, May 2. During this observation period, Mount Merapi experienced 36 avalanches with an amplitude of 3-22 mm for 21.04-143.32 seconds, and one multi-phase earthquake with an amplitude of 7 mm for 6.44 seconds. Weak pressure crater smoke was observed to be white with moderate intensity and 50 meters high above the crater peak of Merapi. During the observation period last Monday at 18.00-24.00 WIB, Mount Merapi also recorded 59 lava avalanches with a maximum sliding distance of 1,700 meters towards Bebeng River and Boyong River. He said the morphological analysis based on the April 21-27 2023 report showed a morphological change that occurred in the southwest dome due to lava avalanches. "There is no significant change to the middle dome," he said. Meanwhile, the volume of the southwest dome of Merapi based on air photos on March 13, 2023, is 1,686,200 cubic meters and for the central dome is 2,312,100 cubic meters.

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.