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Another phreatic eruption occurs at Mount Merapi
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On alert: Residents watch volcanic ash emanating from the top of Mount Merapi from the Bukit Klangon observation post in Cangkringan, Sleman, Yogyakarta, on May 12.
(Antara/Hendra Nurdiyansyah)
Another phreatic eruption happened at Mount Merapi in Magelang, Central Java, at 1:25 a.m. on Monday.
The eruption, which lasted for only 19 minutes, spewed volcanic ash as high as 700 meters into the sky. It was smaller than the first eruption that occurred on Friday, during which Merapi ejected volcanic ash 5,500 meters from its crater.
A phreatic eruption is caused by magma, which heats up water beneath the ground or on the surface.
Although the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has asked people around the area to remain calm go about their daily activities, it has called on mountaineers to avoid hiking beyond Pasar Bubrah or the Post II area, which is only 2 kilometers from the top of the mountain.
10.25 Visual kawah #merapi saat kejadian erupsi freatik #merapi pagi ini jam 09.38 WIB dengan tinggi kolom letusan 1200 m arah condong ke barat. Status NORMAL. pic.twitter.com/qDFJopDzDF
— BPPTKG (@BPPTKG) May 21, 2018
“Merapi is currently prone to landslides, so it is very dangerous for the mountaineers,” said PVMBG official Sunarta in a press release on Monday.
He also asked residents in the area to stay alert, especially during rain, because of a possible cold lava flood from the volcano. (ebf)
