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| Merapi, Java, Indonesia  Indonesia contains more active volcanoes than any country on Earth. Of the 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, Merapi is the most active, and has had at least twelve eruptions that killed people. The name Merapi means "Mountain of Fire". The volcano is considered sacred and every year a priest climbs to the top to make an offering. October 18, 1998 Lava flowed down the slopes of Merapi on October 18. Over 2,000 residents were forced to evacuate the area. Most of the evacuees have returned home, but future eruptions are still possible. July 20, 1998 Merapi erupted again on Monday, July 20, forcing 2,100 people to flee their homes. A huge column of black ash was sent towering above the island, and lava flowed down the flanks of the volcano, destroying many acres of plantations in the surrounding area. Mudslides are a huge concern now, as heavy rains could fall over the fresh volcanic debris, sending the mix into populated areas with little warning. July 13, 1998 Merapi has continued to erupt over the weekend of July 11-12. Lava fountains spilled down the slopes of the volcano, and ash plumes reached heights of 2 miles (3.2 km) into the sky. Ash from these plumes fell on villages up to 38 miles (61 km) away. The highest state of warning has been given to the volcano. Residents have been alerted and readied for evacuation with little or no warning. Concrete barriers are being built to channel any lava flows away from settlements. July 10, 1998 Merapi has entered a new eruptive phase. Lava is currently overflowing from the summit of the volcano. The Directorate of Vulcanology issued its highest warning status for the volcano. Nearby residents have been put on alert. More than 6,000 people may have to be evacuated from the area if activity increases. January 9, 1998 A large amount of lava was spotted on top of Merapi on Friday January 9. Experts have warned nearby residents that they may have to evacuate quickly as hot gas clouds could descend from the volcano. Rain could also send the lava towards nearby villages. The current eruption started on 22 November 1994 when a plume of ash shot up 10 kilometers above the volcano. A rocky dome that had blocked the volcano's crater had collapsed, releasing the cloud. Pieces of the dome tumbled violently down the south flank of Merapi. Super-hot flows of gas, boulders and ash - called Nuees Ardentes or glowing avalanche - swept down the mountain, destroying and killing everything they touched. Nuees continued for hours. They usually flow down river valleys; one nuee traveled 6 km (~3.5 miles) down the Boyong River. At last report, rescuers had found 37 bodies of farmers and villagers who were burned, buried, or asphixiated (died from a lack of air). Eighty-five other people were injured and are in hospitals. Many people need plastic surgery to repair bured areas of their skin. The Japanese government has sent a team of medical medical advisors to help. Because of the massive amounts of volcanic ash and other deposits, the actual number of casualties may never be known. More than 6000 people have been evacuated from their homes because of the danger. Like most of the volcanoes in Indonesia, Merapi is stratovolcano. It is tall (2.8 km or 1.7 miles high) and has steep slopes. The top of the volcano sometimes has a normal crater, but usually a broad mound of pasty lava -- called a dome -- fills the crater. The dome plugs up the volcano, making it difficult for other lava and ash to escape. A broad gouge funnels lava and ash flows from the top of Merapi to the south slopes of the volcano. The top of the mountain has no vegetation because erupted ash often falls there. Dense vegetation covers the flanks of the volcano. Many farmers live in villages around the volcano. The volcanic ash makes rich soil for growing crops, but it is a dangerous place to live. Like all volcanoes, Merapi has eruptions of different sizes. Small eruptions happen every 2-3 years, bigger ones every 10-15 years, and very large ones every 50-60 years. The biggest eruptions occurred in the years 1006, 1786, 1822, 1872 and 1930. The eruption of 1006 spread ash all over the central part of the island of Java. The destruction was so bad that the existing Hindu kingdom was destroyed and the island was taken over by Muslims. A large eruption of Merapi commenced on Thursday, October 31, 1996, according to the West Australia, a Perth-based newspaper. Ash is falling on houses on the flank of the volcano and at least 300 people have been evacuated. The eruption may have been triggered by collapse of a part of the lava dome in the volcano's crater. Little information is available about this eruption. |
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