VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. Mount Merapi’s lava dome volume in the middle of its crater’s peak is estimated to reach 1,681,000 cubic meters, Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) stated.

“Morphological analysis of peak area based on photo from south-east photo sector on April 14-18 2021 showed the volume of middle dome reached 1,681,000 cubic meters,” Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida noted in a written statement received here on Sunday.

The volume of lava dome in the middle of Merapi’s peak is larger than the volume of lava dome on the southwest side of the volcano that reaches 1,024,800 cubic meters with a growth rate of 12,200 cubic meters per day.

Mount Merapi has two lava domes that both grow. The first lava dome lies on the southwest side of the volcano, above from the eruption that occurred in 1997. The second lava dome was observed by BPPTKG on February 4, 2021, in the middle of the crater’s peak.

Humaida explained that  on April 9-15, 2021, Merapi emitted searing clouds six times as far as 1.8 kilometers in the southwest direction and spewed lava 119 times as far as 1.5 kilometers in the southwest direction and seven times in the southeast direction.

The seismicity intensity this week is relatively stable compared to the previous week, she added.

Meanwhile, the Merapi’s characteristic shape observed by EDM (Electronic Distance Measurement) and GPS (Global Positioning System) this week did not show any significant changes.

BPPTKG continues to maintain the status of Mount Merapi at Level III (alert).

Residents are urged to stay vigilant of the potential impact of volcanic lava and hot clouds from Mount Merapi in the south-southwest sector that encompasses Kuning, Bedong, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih rivers.

If there are any eruptions, Mount Merapi’s volcanic material can flow as far as three kilometers from the mountain’s peak, Humaida informed. (AntaranewS)