After Vomiting Before, Today Mount Merapi Launches Lava To The Southwest And Southeast

Mount Merapi's incandescent lava is seen from Turi, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Friday 5 July. (Intermediate Photo)

YOGYAKARTA - Mount Merapi on the border of the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java has nine incandescent lava avalanches to the southeast and southwest on Saturday, July 17. Previously, the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) via its Instagram account uploaded a video recording of Merapi's incandescent lava avalanche. This video was recorded at 19:00 WIB, Friday, July 16.

Head of BPPTKG, Hanik Humaida, through his official statement in Yogyakarta, said the incandescent lava to the southwest slid six times with a maximum sliding distance of 1,500 meters.

Meanwhile, the lava to the southeast slid three times with a maximum distance of 1,200 meters. "The crater smoke was observed to be white with moderate intensity and 100 meters high above the crater peak," said Hanik.

Sunny weather around #Merapi at the moment. The phenomenon of incandescent lava can be monitored directly through the BPPTKG Youtube Channel at https://t.co/PbveDqVbFU.

The following is a video recording of Merapi's incandescent lava on July 16, 2021 at 19.00 WIB. #MerapiSiaga pic.twitter.com/cYMJMcDRG6

— BPPTKG (@BPPTKG) July 16, 2021

In addition to incandescent lava, Merapi also experienced 51 earthquakes with an amplitude of 4-32 millimeters (mm) for 22.6-100 seconds and eight earthquake gusts with an amplitude of 4-7 millimeters (mm) for 11-15.6 seconds.

Next, 33 multi-phase earthquakes with an amplitude of 3-16 millimeters (mm) for 5.5-7.8 seconds and eight shallow volcanic earthquakes with an amplitude of 40-75 millimeters (mm) for 8.6-11.2 seconds.

Meanwhile, for the observation period on Friday (16/7) evening, 18.00-24.00 WIB, Mount Merapi recorded 11 times launching incandescent lava with a maximum sliding distance of 1,500 meters to the southwest and 9 times to the southeast as far as 1,200 meters.

Until now BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Alert. The lava fall and hot clouds of Mount Merapi are estimated to have an impact on the south-southwest sector including the Kuning River, Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih.

Meanwhile, if an eruption occurs, the ejection of volcanic material from Mount Merapi can reach a radius of three kilometers from the top of the mountain.