Visual and instrumental monitoring conducted by VSI personnel revealed that volcanic activity at Merapi had decreased; therefore on 7 March the Alert Level was reduced from 3 to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). During 27 February- 5 March, volcanic activity was dominated by an average of 100 lava avalanches per day. The avalanche material traveled to the SW, entering the Sat and Senowo rivers with runout distances of 2.3-2.5 km. On 6 March a pyroclastic flow deposited material up to 1.5 km down the Sat River.

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)