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)