Report on Merapi (Indonesia) — 13 February-19 February 2019
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 February-19 February 2019
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2019. Report on Merapi (Indonesia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 February-19 February 2019. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Merapi
Indonesia
7.54°S, 110.446°E; summit elev. 2910 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
PVMBG reported that during 8-17 February the volume of the lava dome in Merapi’s summit crater was about the same as the previous week, and there were no apparent morphological changes. Most of the extruded lava did not add to the dome volume but instead fell into the upper parts of the Gendol River drainage and the SE flank. Incandescent avalanches traveling down the SE flank were visible at night. At 0858 on 11 February a pyroclastic flow traveled 400 m down the Gendol drainage. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.
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)