Visual and instrumental monitoring by VSI personnel revealed that volcanic activity continued at Merapi. Hot lava avalanches continued to enter the Sat, Senowo, Bebeng, and Lamat rivers, with a maximum runout distance of 2.5 km in the Sat River. Pyroclastic flows traveled up to 2.75 km down the Sat, Senowo, and Bebeng rivers. Superficial earthquakes dominated the seismicity, though fewer occurred than in the previous week. Observations on 10 March revealed that high-pressure fumaroles appeared on most of the dome's surface. The volcano remained at Alert Level 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Geological Summary. Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, lies in one of the world's most densely populated areas and dominates the landscape immediately north of the major city of Yogyakarta. It is the youngest and southernmost of a volcanic chain extending NNW to Ungaran volcano. Growth of Old Merapi during the Pleistocene ended with major edifice collapse perhaps about 2,000 years ago, leaving a large arcuate scarp cutting the eroded older Batulawang volcano. Subsequent growth of the steep-sided Young Merapi edifice, its upper part unvegetated due to frequent activity, began SW of the earlier collapse scarp. Pyroclastic flows and lahars accompanying growth and collapse of the steep-sided active summit lava dome have devastated cultivated lands on the western-to-southern flanks and caused many fatalities.

Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)