Mt. Merapi attracts world's scientists<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Mt. Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active
\nvolcanoes, has come under the scrutiny of the world's leading
\nscientists.<\/p>\n
\"Six countries are involved in monitoring the volcano and
\ndoing experiments on Merapi where they have installed their
\ninstruments,\" said Head of the Bandung-based Volcanological
\nSurvey of Indonesia, Wimpy S. Cecep, at the \"Merapi Decade
\nVolcano Workshop\", which discussed 42 papers on volcano
\nmanagement and other issues.<\/p>\n
The six countries involved in the ongoing experiment are
\nFrance, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, United States and host
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The three-day workshop, which ended on Sunday, was attended by
\nexperts from 14 countries as part of the United Nations'
\nInternational Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.<\/p>\n
\"It was held to promote the results of volcanological studies
\non Merapi and what should be done to find effective means for
\nobserving the volcano which never sleeps\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 2,911-meter-high Merapi and nine other volcanoes in the
\nworld have been named by the International Association of
\nVolcanology and Chemistry of Earth's Interior as the \"Volcanoes
\nof the Decade\".<\/p>\n
Wimpy said Merapi's last eruption on Nov. 22, 1994, when 66
\nlives were claimed, came without warning and has since perplexed
\nvolcanologists.<\/p>\n
An American scientist shared Wimpy's point of view.<\/p>\n
\"I think one of our main jobs is to gradually improve the
\nmonitoring and forecasting methods of the volcano's activities,\"
\nsaid Chris Newhall of the U.S. Geological Survey, who is a member
\nof the research team.<\/p>\n
He said it is equally difficult to predict the physical
\nprocesses and direction of Merapi's lava dome.<\/p>\n
It is important for Indonesian volcanologists and the people,
\nparticularly those living on the slope of the volcano, to sit
\ndown together and discuss it, he said. \"Sometimes the experts'
\nlanguage is too technical and difficult for ordinary people to
\nunderstand.\"<\/p>\n
Head of the volcano analysis unit of the Ministry of Mines and
\nEnergy Suhyar said detection equipment has been installed on
\nMerapi.<\/p>\n
\"They include the latest technology for seismic and
\ndeformation monitoring,\" Suhyar told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said that Merapi was chosen as the experiment site because
\nit is the most active among the country's 129 volcanoes.<\/p>\n
Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma Inten Suweno said at
\nthe workshop that informing the people of expert predictions and
\nresearch will help them to understand and to take the necessary
\nprecautions.<\/p>\n
The number of people living around the volcano, particularly
\nin the forbidden zones, is still large, Endang said. \"Their
\nbeliefs surrounding Merapi are still strong.\" (mun\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mt-merapi-attracts-worlds-scientists-1447893297",
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