Mount Merapi

This article is about the mountain in Central Java. Not to be confused with Mount Marapi.

Mount Merapi
Gunung Merapi
Mount Merapi, as of 2018
Highest point
Elevation2,910 m (9,550 ft)[1]
Prominence1,356 m (4,449 ft)[2]
ListingRibu
Coordinates07°32′29″S 110°26′46″E / 7.54139°S 110.44611°E / -7.54139; 110.44611
Naming
English translationMountain of Fire
Language of nameIndonesian
Geography
Mount Merapi is located in Java
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi
Location in Java
Geology
Rock age400,000 years
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Last eruptionOngoing
Mount Merapi, colour lithograph, Junghuhn and Mieling, 1853–1854

Mount Merapi (Javanese: ꦒꦸꦤꦸꦁ​ꦩꦼꦫꦥꦶ, romanized: gunung měrapi, Indonesian: Gunung Merapi, lit. 'Fire Mountain') is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is located approximately 28 km (17 mi) north of Yogyakarta city which has a population of 2.4 million. Thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1,700 m (5,577 ft) above sea level.

Smoke can often be seen rising from the mountaintop, and several eruptions have caused fatalities. A pyroclastic flow from a large explosion killed 27 people on 22 November 1994, mostly in the town of Muntilan, west of the volcano.[3] Another large eruption occurred in 2006, shortly before the Yogyakarta earthquake. In light of the hazards that Merapi poses to populated areas, it was designated as one of the Decade Volcanoes, which are considered worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to densely populated areas.

On the afternoon of 25 October 2010, Merapi erupted on its southern and southeastern slopes.[4] A total of 353 people were killed over the next month, while 350,000 were forced to flee their homes;[5] most of the damage was done by pyroclastic flows, while heavy rain on 4 November created lahars which caused further damage. Most of the fissures had ceased erupting by 30 November, and four days later the official threat level was lowered.[6] Merapi's characteristic shape was changed during the eruptions, with its height lowered 38 m (125 ft) to 2,930 m (9,613 ft).[2]

Since 2010, Merapi had experienced several smaller eruptions, most noticeably two phreatic eruptions which occurred on 18 November 2013 and 11 May 2018. The first and larger of these, caused by a combination of rainfall and internal activity, saw smoke issued up to a height of 2,000 m (6,562 ft).[7] There have been several small eruptions since the beginning of 2020,[a] which are of great interest to volcanologists.

  1. ^ "Merapi". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Mount Merapi". Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  3. ^ (in Indonesian) Kompas (Yogyakarta) President Soeharto Really Concern. Saturday, 26 November 1994.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference JakartaPost2010-10-25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Case study: Mount Merapi in 2010". BBC Bitesize. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Update Gunung Merapi status on 30/11 to 12.00 WIB". Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana. 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  7. ^ "Tiga Gunung Indonesia Ini Bikin Dunia Terkaget-kaget". 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Merapi". volcanodiscovery.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Indonesia's Mt Merapi spews massive ash cloud". The Star. Malaysia. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. ^ Riyadi, Slamet (7 January 2021). "Indonesia's Merapi volcano spews hot clouds, 500 evacuate". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference August8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Indonesia Volcano Erupts, Blankets Villages in Ash". 16 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.


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