Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano emits a 1 km ash cloud

Posted by The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond

July 17, 2012 – INDONESIA – Mount Merapi, located in Yogyakarta, emitted high-pressure gas on Sunday afternoon that caused its crater wall to collapse and volcanic ash to fall on its western slope, as smoke billowed up to 1 kilometer into the sky.  As the gas discharge was not followed by other dangerous volcanic activity, the phenomenon was regarded as a small-scale volcanic eruption and the volcano’s alert status remained normal. “Mount Merapi’s status remains normal because there was no dangerous volcanic activity,” said Volcanic Technology Development and Research Center (BPPTK) head Subandriyo on Monday. According to Subandriyo, the incident was due to the accumulation of gas produced by the volcano’s magma. As the gas’ exit fumarole was too narrow, the volcano eventually released all the buildup of very high pressure gas by erupting, which caused the crater wall to collapse and this emitted a massive rumble. “The incident can be called a small-scale ‘volcanic eruption’,” said Subandriyo. In Bandung, West Java, Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology Center head Surono said the collapse of the crater wall of Mount Merapi on Sunday was a natural process. The collapse was not due to an increase in volcanic activity of the most active volcano in Indonesia. The lava dome collapsed because rocks and eruption material from the 2010 eruption were still not completely set and stable. “The force of gravity or the weight of the rocks has caused the crater wall to collapse,” Surono said in a text message on Monday. The lava dome collapsed on Sunday at 6:02 p.m. local time. According to Surono, officers at the Babadan observation post, located more than 5 kilometers from the mountain park, heard a rumbling sound which was a result of the collapse. They also observed smoke billowing at a height of 1,000 meters above the peak, slanting westward. Surono added that a slight ash cloud occurred, followed by the smell of sulfur. “Based on a report, a rain of ash took place in Jurang Jero and Srumbung. The smoke was not emitted from an eruption, but rather by the collapsed crater dome,” Surono said. The crater emitted thick smoke mixed with gas and ash and rose up to 1 kilometer. Its shape resembled a pyroclastic flow.  According to Subandriyo, the phenomenon was the first, after it erupted in 2010. “The volcanic magma is currently rich with gas. This did not occur before the 2010 eruption,” he said. He added that in the past month, the crater dome of the 2,800-meter tall volcano often collapsed because the structure of the dome was not yet stable and due to the drought. –Jakarta Post

Mt. Merapi’s last eruption was in 2010

Indonesia’s Mount Marapi volcano spews volcanic ash

Posted by The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond

June 17, 2012 – INDONESIA – Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province spewed volcanic ash up to 500 meters into the sky on Sunday morning. “The volcano spewed volcanic ash for about 10 minutes starting at around 08.30 a.m.,” Mubarak, who lived on the slope of the volcano, said on Sunday. “The volcanic ash fell on around the volcano’s slope,” he said.  Before spewing volcanic ash, the 2,891-meter high volcano released white thick smoke as high as 50 meters from its crater, he said. Since its alert status was raised on August 3, 2011, the volcano had spewed white smoke and volcanic ash almost every day, he said. The Bukittinggi Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) still maintains the volcano’s alert status at the second highest alert level. “PVMBG still recommends keeping the volcano at the second highest alert status and declaring it off-limits to anyone climbing within 3 km of its peak,” PVMBG officer Warseno said.  The volcano has spewed thick smoke and volcanic ash almost every day since it began showing signs of increased activity on August 3, 2011. –MCOT

The volcano last erupted in February 2012