Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Mount Merapi, on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta, emitted 11 incandescent lava avalanches, with a sliding distance of 1,200 meters on Thursday, the Research and Development Center for Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG) stated.
Head of BPPTKG Agus Budi Santoso noted that based on observations from 00:00 to 06:00 local time, the incandescent lava avalanches were sliding toward the southwest.
"We observed 11 incandescent lava avalanches, with a sliding distance of 1,200 meters to the southwest," he noted in a statement received here, Thursday.
During the observation period, Mount Merapi also experienced 16 earthquakes, with an amplitude of 4-35 mm for 24.4-166.8 seconds; seven multi-phase earthquakes having an amplitude of 3-6 mm for 5-7.6 seconds; one shallow volcanic earthquake, with an amplitude of 62 mm for 8.3 seconds; and one deep volcanic earthquake, with an amplitude of 6 mm for 11.7 seconds, Santoso noted.
Thick crater smoke above the peak of Mount Merapi was also visible during the observation, he stated.
Meanwhile, during the observation period on Wednesday at 18:00-24:00 local time, Mount Merapi was recorded to have been spewing hot clouds thrice, with a maximum sliding distance of 1,300 meters to the southwest, Santoso noted.
In addition, lava avalanches were observed 49 times, with a sliding distance of 1,500 meters to the southwest.
The BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi on Alert since November 2020, he remarked.
Susanto noted that the potential danger at this time is in the form of lava avalanches and hot clouds in Woro River, three kilometres from the summit; Gendol River, five kilometres from the summit; Boyon River, five kilometres from the summit; as well as Bedog, Krasak, and Bebeng rivers, some seven kilometres from the summit.
Meanwhile, the ejection of volcanic material during an explosive eruption can reach a radius of three kilometres from the summit, he pointed out.
The BPPTKG also appealed to the public to be vigilant of the danger of lava in the river flow from Mount Merapi, especially during rains at the top of the mountain.
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