Volcano Alert: Indonesia's Most Dangerous Volcano Ready to Erupt , Say Local Authorities

This just in from John Search

Thursday 28th October 2010
Merapi Volcano, Indonesia
A new eruption occurred at Merapi volcano, Indonesia at 4:30 pm on 28th October. Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre reported that a high level eruption was observed from the ground. The eruptions this week have been explosive which is different from that experienced in recent times. The eruption of Merapi volcano on Tuesday produced a vertical blast which reached a height of 1.5 km. This is the first time that this type of eruption has been observed at the volcano. Eruptions of Merapi volcano during the 7–19th centuries A.D. were more violent than the past hundred years, and produced explosion pyroclastic flows. In 2001 scientists predicted that the quiet of the 20th century would be broken by a larger explosive eruption in the coming decades. It is possible that the eruption of Merapi on Tuesday was precipitated by the magnitude 7.7 Sumatran earthquake a few hours earlier. The last eruption of Merapi volcano in 2006 occurred soon after a nearby tectonic earthquake.

Source

This volcano as state earlier in this thead (I think) - is capable of a VEI 4 - I wonder if it will reach that in this eruption. I also wonder if it is capable of anything larger as well?

It appears that Their WebCam is not functioning It's been stuck at 21:19:45 all day .

Where's that guy who likes to hang out on the inside of the caldera's in the little silver suit when you need him. He needs to go out there and set us all up with a new and improved Live WebCam

reply to post by Anmarie96


yep it is stuck, yesterday I think it was stuck for some 8 hours.

But this last pic is sorta cool, you can see the outline of the mountain and a little explosion off the top side.

www.merapi.bgl.esdm.go.id...

Originally posted by Anmarie96
This volcano as state earlier in this thead (I think) - is capable of a VEI 4 - I wonder if it will reach that in this eruption. I also wonder if it is capable of anything larger as well?

Hey buddy..just wondering what VEI 4 might be....is that some kind of eruption scale? Please pardon me and my seemingly lack of knowledge on the subject....How bad is a VEI 4 and how big on that supposed scale was the biggest eruption ever recorded? Thanks for taking the time to answer those...really appreciate experts input on volcanos and earthquakes of this kind.....so I can have some kind of an idea when something big comes around....

Regards,

ringht_n_wrong

reply to post by ringht_n_wrong


4 > 0.1 km³ Peléan/Plinian cataclysmic 10-25 km ≥ 10 yrs Eyjafjallajökull (2010) 421


The Whole chart is HERE

or Here

finally!

updated cam

www.merapi.bgl.esdm.go.id...

reply to post by berkeleygal


Hey thanks for the updates, I appreciate it. Contributions to better the thread and help provide more info and links get stars in my threads.

So berkeleygal, why are we seeing this green tint? I thought sulfur was yellowish in color? I suspect something might be wrong with the hue setting on the camera?

reply to post by TrueAmerican


Well, TA, I never thought about the color til you mentioned it. The trees in the foreground look ok albeit a little ashy.

and yeah, I am seeing blue/green. I dunno. Hoping for a clear view of the summit, not holding my breath haha

just refreshed, here I believe we have a glimpse of an ash cloud

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0aeabb4d2358.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by berkeleygal


Seems to be moving into the valley....

Or is that just me....

reply to post by freetree64


The wind is moving from right to left. Refreshing is getting slower now, must be lot of traffic

Still looking for something interesting to screenshoot. Too busy with other things or I would make a movie.

reply to post by berkeleygal


It seems to have cleared up better now, with the colors right...

www.merapi.bgl.esdm.go.id...

Merapi shows different eruption characteristic

www.thejakartapost.com...

The Yogyakarta Volcanic Investigation and Development Center (BPPTK) Subandrio said Thursday that Mount Merapi had shown a different kind of eruption characteristic as compared to previous types.

Subandrio explained that Mt. Merapi used to be a non-explosive volcano, which led to a slow eruption that expelled lava as what happened in 2006. However, on Tuesday afternoon, the volcano characteristic turned into an explosive which prompted a direct blast of hot ashes, he said.

The vertical direct blast reached 1.5 kilometers in to the sky, which was the first time that had occurred with Merapi, he added.

another
Merapi’s spiritual guardian laid to rest, as one with volcano

www.thejakartapost.com...

Mount Merapi’s spiritual guardian, Mbah Maridjan, was laid at rest at around noon on Thursday in Srunen hamlet in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, not far from his home on the slopes of the volcano.

Maridjan, 85, had been entrusted by the highly respected late Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX to watch over Merapi’s spirits. For many years he led ceremonies in which rice and flowers were thrown into the crater to appease these spirits.

Maridjan was found dead by an evacuation team at his home in Kinahrejo. He was in the Muslim prayer sujud position, kneeling with his face to the floor.

700 frame Timelaps from the Merapi webcam featuring some ash-rain, webcam falling on its side, clouds slowly dissolving, allowing a peek on the peak of Merapi, before swooping back into the valley obscuring the volcano again. (29-10-10 11:35 - 16:23)



Due to some server downs on the webcam there are a few hick-ups in the footage, but it gives a good view on the volcano and it's dynamic surroundings.

Just letting this thread readers know that helimun in the other Merapi thread www.abovetopsecret.com... found a source stating that now 8 other volcanoes have had their alert status raised to level II. Have put it in the volcano watch thread www.abovetopsecret.com... so hopefully some of our volcano experts will increase our knowledge in this area.

reply to post by D.Wolf


Excellent job again D.Wolf! Love the music too, nice touch, gave me goosebumpies.

Amazing footage from Russia Today coming out of Indonesia on the eruption and all the ash...

Latest update from Eruptions
bigthink.com...

and from there, see this AMAZING collection of stills and video from James Reynolds. You don't want to miss this.
www.typhoonfury.com...

I wasn't sure which Thread to put my thinking down in with everything that is going on - so, I put it Here.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1c8cb2a74f41.jpg[/atsimg]

news.nationalgeographic.com...#/mount-merapi -ash-building_28103_600x450.jpg

The images are very compelling and sad.

Not sure what this is, tis strange... It's almost 5 a.m. there, should be able to see something in a few hours

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1e991a1bd03d.jpg[/atsimg]