Mt. Merapi shows intensified volcanic activity
Mt. Merapi shows intensified volcanic activity
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Volcanic activity in the 2,968-meter-high
Merapi volcano in Central Java has been intensifying, with the
discharge of thin dust, lava and heat clouds threatening the
densely populated area below, a volcanologist said on Sunday.
The lava and heat clouds -- which can reach some 600 degrees
Celsius -- have been flowing down the western slope of the
volcano to the Kali Senowo, Kali Sat and Kali Bebeng rivers,
which are located near the neighboring villages.
Thin dust also covered areas of the Babadan, Ngepos, and
Kaliurang observatory posts.
"Our office also detected a new lava dome at the top of Merapi
which is around 100 meters wide. We have named it 'Kubah 2001',
due to our calculations estimating that it was formed around Jan.
16 to Jan. 17," head of the Yogyakarta Volcano Technology
Development and Research Station (BPPTK) Syamsul Rizal said on
Sunday.
The new dome was formed in a volcanic process which replaced
the 1998 lava dome, destroyed several days before, he said.
"The current lava dome is still in an unstable condition as
the process is still taking place," Syamsul said, revealing that
the lava dome's glow can be clearly seen at night.
The volcano observation post in Kaliurang is located on the
southern slope, or only about four kilometers away from the foot
of the mountain.
The heated clouds from the newly-formed lava dome have caused
the emission of thin dust which is showering the neighboring
areas, he said.
"The lava outflow and heat clouds are now reaching 3.5
kilometers down the peak," an observation worker at Nepos
observatory post said, adding that the biggest heat clouds were
expelled at approximately 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
On Jan. 10 the volcanology authority raised an alert on Mount
Merapi to the second highest danger level, as a result of the
increased activity.
Reports state that most of the estimated 8,000 residents
living near the volcano are peasants and sand diggers.
The status was raised from "beware" to "be prepared".
The volcanology office recognizes four danger status levels
for a volcano -- normal, beware, be prepared and alert -- the
last being announced when an eruption is imminent.
The volcano has been declared off-limits to mountain climbers
but there has been no evacuation of the population living on the
lower reaches of its slopes.
"However, we have strongly warned sand diggers to stop their
activities and people to be prepared and alert just in case the
explosion takes place," Syamsul added.
In the most recent recorded incidents, Merapi last erupted in
1994 with heat clouds killing more than 60 people and forcing
more than 6,000 people to evacuate the area.
An earlier eruption in November 1976 killed 28 people and left
no less than 1,200 people homeless. (44/edt/swa)