Indonesia's Mount Merapi Ready to Blow

An eruption of this volcano is imminent, say volcanologists, yet alert levels haven't been raised high enough to initiate mandatory evacuations.

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia's rumbling Mount Merapi is spewing volcanic ash and magma has fully covered its crater, and a powerful eruption could come any day, a scientist said Thursday.

Authorities said, however, they were not ready to raise the alert to the highest level, which requires immediate evacuation of villagers living on the slopes of the 9,700-foot peak.

The mountain, one of the most active in Indonesia, is still in phase two, they said.

"It's close to eruption," said Dewi Sri, a vulcanologist at a monitoring post near Merapi's peak.

"The crater is fully covered by magma," she said, predicting "an enormous and dreadful eruption" within days.

link

All I have to say is, they better give those villagers living on the side of the cone ample time to get out of harm's way, whatever "phase' they are in.

Those in this region live in harmony with the mountain. They take the rewards
and chalk up the disasters to fate.

What category eruption is predicted with this event?

I found a good link to a site with a comprehensive report on PDF. From the report, it looks like two of the four districts at risk have begun mandatory evacuations. The report is operating off a scenario of four increasing levels of severity, and the Indonesian government is apparently basing their planning on the third level.

The report includes a good map of the region showing the areas at risk of lava flows, and villagers have been warned to avoid activities near the river running from the base of the cone.

link



[edit on 29-4-2006 by Icarus Rising]

There are three powerful volcanoes ready to blow bigtime right now. Mount Merapi is the most serious threat. The other two is the Galeras volcano in Colombia and the Urbinas volcano in Peru. Mount Merapi has not erupted yet but they expect a violent eruption at any time. Any volcanocam available for this one?


Mount Merapi

Scotsman: Triple volcano risk to 70,000

Looks like she's gonna blow any time now. Highest alert level, mandatory evacuations taking place.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising



Looks like she's gonna blow any time now. Highest alert level, mandatory evacuations taking place.

What an amazing shot; I've never seen any dome like that; how incredible, fascinating...and scary. I'm glad to see that the villagers are being evacuated; my very best wishes for all involved.

Does anyone know of a real time feed for this volcano? I'd love to see it blow.

Regards-
Aimless

That's why I included that image with my last post. It reminded me of the movie "1 Million Years BC." Now all I need is Raquel Welch in a fur bikini and I'm all set.

For real, though, I'm glad they are getting people out of there, because now look at it. The image below is even more surreal.

Thousands of people fled the fertile slopes of Indonesia's most dangerous volcano Saturday as glowing lava oozed down the side and ash and rock spewed from the mountaintop, leading authorities to warn that an eruption could come soon.

Villages on Mount Merapi were left virtually empty. Women, children and the elderly filled buses and trucks to be driven to shelters set up at government buildings and schools in nearby towns on the island of Java.

Throughout the day, volcanic tremors shook the ground, some strong enough to send people running in fear. After nightfall, fiery magma from the volcano's cauldron lit up the bottoms of clouds above the nearly 9,700-foot peak, and cascades of bright red stones tumbled down the mountainside.

link

Radical!

[edit on 13-5-2006 by Icarus Rising]

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
I'm glad they are getting people out of there, because now look at it. The image below is even more surreal.



Radical!

[edit on 13-5-2006 by Icarus Rising]

As an amateur - or rather, semi-pro, as I sell a bit - photographer, I would give my left...well, pretty much anything to be there, right now, cam in hand, extra battery packs and cards, and a really good, long lens to just shoot away.

I can't imagine the fear the villagers have...that's a serious, serious eruption setting up. The potential devastation is horrendous. And those folks will be in my thoughts and prayers.

That does not temper my awe and thrills at the photos coming out, however...hopefully, that doesn't make me a bad person.

What an amazing event...any luck on a volcano cam?

Regards-
Aimless

I posted a couple of pictures of Mount Merapi in this thread :

Volcano watch 2006

Here's one of them :


Photo: AP/ Purwowiyoto (SCANPIX)

Just remember it was Krakatoa in this same string of mountains that blew in 1883 and killed 36,000 people from the aftereffects of tsunamis and quakes. Krakatoa is about 400 miles to the southeast.

here is a map.

vulcan.wr.usgs.gov...

en.wikipedia.org...

And there she blows!

Mount Merapi has erupted!

Here is the article from ANTARA News agency. They say Mount Merapi erupted at 5:40 am

ANTARA News: Mount Merapi Erupts

Indonesia's Merapi volcano releases a huge cloud of hot gas as seen from the Kali Adem village, near Indonesia city of Yogyakarta May 15, 2006. Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano spewed lava and hot ash early on Monday, a regional official said, but a volcanologist said he had no confirmation of the report. Reuters

All that volcanic gas and pyroclastic emissions may cool things off a bit,
but it will also increase worldwide drought in regards to the global dimming phenomena.

• Mount St. Helens has been known to pump out between 50 and 250 tons a day of sulfur dioxide, at the time the article was written, the volcano was the state's number one polluter!

• The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines blew out so much of the gas that the resulting haze spread around the globe and lowered average surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere by nearly one degree.
So, volcanos play a significant role in climate change...more than we think. Global climate change isn't just made made.

• Worldwide, sulfur dioxide emissions from volcanoes add up to about 15 million tons a year. source

Would say the recent Merapi eruption is a byproduct from all the recent major earthquakes in the region.
Indonesia Earthquake Summary Posters USGS


Recent rise of volcano activity means Mt. St, Helen's is next?
I wonder, especially with that giant rock being forced up recently.
ATS Giant 'Slab' Pushing Through Mt. St. Helens


Somedays it feels like I'm Jor-El before Krypton exploded.
Perhaps I watch too much Smallville.

Mount Merapi's not done yet and is still in action. They say the magma supply that forms the dome at the peak appeared to be weakening but she may still explode if the magma structure collapses...


Photo: AP

Related Links:
Antara News: More seek shelter from simmering Mount Merapi (21 May, 2006)
10 pictures of Merapi (including the two in this post)


Photo: AP

There was an earthquake at Mag 6.2 there just now!

Maybe something happened to the volcano?

Reports place the epicenter of the quake very near the volcano, and volcanic activity increased at Mount Merapi shortly after the quake hit. With the amount of subduction that probably took place during the two massisve undersea quakes the region recently experienced, including the one that caused the tsunami, its no wonder the earth is bucking and spewing as it digests what must be hundreds of millions of cubic yards of new material thrust into the furnace below the mantle.

My prayers are with those lost, and those suffering loss, as the region once again experiences natural disaster on a massive scale.

The quake's epicenter was close to the Mount Merapi volcano, which has been rumbling for weeks and sending out large clouds of hot gas and ash. Activity increased on Saturday, with one eruption that came soon after the quake sending debris some 2 miles down its western flank.

link

[edit on 5/28/2006 by glyphman]