Yogyakarta (Antaranews Kalsel) - The Geological Disaster Research and Technology Development Center (BPPTKG) recorded that Mount Merapi had emitted hot cloud six times on Monday morning.
Through its official Twitter account, the BPPTKG tweeted that the hot cloud was observed on Monday morning at 6:05, 6:13, 6:24, and 6:28 a.m. local time. The hot cloud was spewed from Mount Merapi, with a maximum sliding distance of one kilometer towards River Gendol.
Furthermore, at 7:32 a.m. local time, the most active volcano in Indonesia spewed another hot cloud, with a sliding distance of 200 meters towards River Gendol and with a 400-meter-high smoke.
Based on the seismic data during the time between 00:00 and 6 a.m. local time, the BPPTKG recorded 31 earthquakes, with the duration ranging from 12 to 92 seconds, along with lava avalanche descending thrice in the direction of River Gendol, with a sliding distance of 700-900 meters.
"The hot cloud and lava avalanche have the potential to cause volcanic ash rain, so the Merapi residents were asked to keep calm in anticipating any disturbance due to volcanic ash," as quoted from BPPTKG`s twitter account.
According to the morphological analysis released by BPPTKG for the period of February, 8-14, 2019, the volume of Merapi`s lava dome was still relatively stable as compared with the data taken a week before, in which its height reached 461 thousand cubic meters and growth rate reached 1,300 cubic meters per day.
The lava dome remains stable, with its low growth rate, which is approximately less than 20 thousand cubic meters per day. The BPPTKG has urged the residents to avoid all activities within a three-kilometer radius from Mount Merapi`s peak.
Viking activities have been temporarily closed, except for the purpose of research and studies related to disaster mitigation efforts.
Editing by Safira Noor Haliza
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
