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Mount Merapi
Merapi
Elevation	2,914 metres (9,616 ft)
Location	Central Java (Indonesia)
Coordinates	7°32′S 110°26′E
Type	Stratovolcano
Age of rock	400,000 years
Last eruption	2006

Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi in Indonesian language, is a conical volcano in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted 68 times since 1548. Its name means Mountain of Fire. It is very close to the city of Yogyakarta, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1700 m above sea level. Paul Smith Several of its eruptions have caused fatalities. It was erupting from 1992 to 2002, and a particularly large explosion killed 43 people in 1994. It began erupting again in 2006, and scientists believe a large eruption is imminent. In light of the hazards it poses to populated areas, it has been designated a Decade Volcano. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the Main Page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x527, 405 KB) Summary Photo of Statovolcano Merapi in central Java, Indonesia. ... A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. ... Map of Central Java province within Indonesia Central Java (Indonesian: Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which is aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. ... Mountains can be characterized in several ways. ... A stratovolcano is a tall, conical mountain (volcano) composed of both hardened lava and volcanic ash. ... // The geological time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... A volcano is a geological landform usually generated by the eruption through a planets surface of magma, molten rock welling up from the planets interior. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language of Indonesia and East Timor. ... A volcano is a geological landform usually generated by the eruption through a planets surface of magma, molten rock welling up from the planets interior. ... Map of Central Java province within Indonesia Central Java (Indonesian: Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births September 2 - Vincenzo Scamozzi, Italian architect (died 1616) September 29 - William V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1626) Francesco Andreini, Italian actor (died 1624) Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist (burned at the stake) 1600 (died 1600) Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general... Yogyakarta (also Jogjakarta in pre-1972 spelling or Jogja) is a city and province on the island of Java, Indonesia. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... A map showing locations of the 16 Decade Volcanoes The Decade Volcanoes are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earths Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. ...

Geological history

Merapi is the youngest in a group of volcanoes in southern Java. It is situated at a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian Plate. It is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire - a section of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and South East Asia.^[1] Stratigraphic analysis reveals that eruptions in the Merapi area began about 400,000 years ago, and from then until about 10,000 years ago, eruptions were typically effusive, and the outflowing lava emitted was basaltic. Since then, eruptions have become more explosive, with viscous andesitic lavas often generating lava domes. Dome collapse has often generated pyroclastic flows, and larger explosions, which have resulted in eruption columns, have also generated pyroclastic flows through column collapse. Subduction zones mark sites of convective downwelling of the Earths lithosphere. ... The Indo-Australian plate is shown in dull orange on this map. ...  The Eurasian plate, shown in green The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate covering Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the continents Europe and Asia) except that it does not cover the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Verkhoyansk Range in East Siberia. ... The Pacific Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. ... Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Basalt Basalt is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... A sample of andesite (dark groundmass) with amygdaloidal vesicules filled with zeolite. ... In volcanology, a lava dome is mound-shaped growth resulting from the eruption of high-silica lava (such as rhyolite) from a volcano. ... Pyroclastic flows sweep down the flanks of Mayon Volcano, Philippines, in 1984 Pyroclastic flows are a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. ... Eruption column over Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines An eruption column consists of hot volcanic ash emitted during an explosive volcanic eruption. ...

Typically, small eruptions occur every two to three years, and larger ones every 10-15 years or so. Notable eruptions, often causing many deaths, have occurred in 1006, 1786, 1822, 1872 (the most violent eruption in recent history) and 1930—when thirteen villages were destroyed and 1400 people killed by pyroclastic flows. Events Aelfheah (St. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

A very large eruption in 1006 covered all of central Java with ash. The volcanic devastation is believed to have led to the collapse of the Hindu Kingdom of Mataram, and the ensuing power vacuum allowed Muslims to become the rulers of Java. Diamond Head, a well-known backdrop to Waikiki in Hawaii, is an ash cone that solidified into tuff Volcanic ash is the term for very fine rock and mineral particles less than 2 mm in diameter that are ejected from a volcanic vent. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mataram was an Indianized kingdom based in Central Java between the 8th and 10th centuries CE. The centre of the kingdom was moved from Central Java to East Java by Mpu Sindok. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish:Müslüman, Persian:مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ...

Merapi continues to hold particular significance for the Javanese: it is one of four places where officials from the royal palaces of Java's Yogyakarta and Solo make annual offerings to placate the ancient Javanese spirits. ^[2] Look up solo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

1992 eruption

Mount Merapi in August 2003 showing steam venting from the crater.
Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center

1992 saw an eruption begin at Mount Merapi which continued for the next ten years. During this time, a lava dome was extruded, growing by up to half a metre per day. In 1994, the dome reached the edge of the crater, and from then on, rockfall from the dome produced frequent pyroclastic flows. In late 1994 almost the entire dome collapsed, generating very large pyroclastic flows, which travelled several kilometres from the summit and killed 43 people. Image File history File links MerapiFromSpace. ... Image File history File links MerapiFromSpace. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... In volcanology, a lava dome is mound-shaped growth resulting from the eruption of high-silica lava (such as rhyolite) from a volcano. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated like the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ... Perhaps the most conspicuous part of a volcano is the crater, a basin of a roughly circular form within which occurs a vent (or vents) from which magma erupts as gases, lava, and ejecta. ...

Following the large eruption of November 1994, a new dome formed in the crater, and small explosive eruptions continued for several years, generating scores of lava avalanches and pyroclastic flows every day. Eruptions ended in late 2002. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

2006 eruption

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Merapi roars, compulsory evacuation ordered

In April 2006, increased seismicity at more regular intervals and a detected bulge in the volcano's cone indicated that fresh eruptions were imminent. Authorities put the volcano's neighboring villages on high alert and local residents prepared for a likely evacuation. On April 19th smoke from the crater reached a height of 400 metres, compared to 75 metres the previous day. On April 23rd, after nine surface tremors and some 156 multifaced quakes signalled movements of magma, some 600 elderly and infant residents of the slopes were evacuated.^[3] Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth. ...

By early May, active lava flows had begun. On May 11th, with lava flow beginning to be constant, some 17,000 people were ordered to be evacuated from the area^[4] and on May 13th, Indonesian authorities raised the alert status to the highest level, ordering the immediate evacuation of all residents on the mountain.^[5] Eruptions at the volcano are increasing in intensity, and some reports indicate that large explosions have begun.^[6][7] Should pyroclastic flows occur, nearby villages will be at very high risk, but many villagers have defied the dangers posed by the volcano and returned to their villages, saying that they needed to tend their live-stock and crops.^[8]. On May 16th activity has calmed down but scientists are warning it still poses a threat.^[9] On May 27th, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck roughly 30 miles southwest of Merapi, killing at least 5,000 and leaving at least 200,000 people homeless in the Yogyakarta region, heightening fears that Merapi will "blow".^[10] The quake did not appear to be a long-period oscillation, a seismic disturbance class that is increasingly associated with major volcanic eruptions. Pyroclastic flows sweep down the flanks of Mayon Volcano, Philippines, in 1984 Pyroclastic flows are a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. ... The 2006 Java earthquake occurred at 05:54 local time on 27 May 2006 (22:54 GMT 26 May), in the Indian Ocean around 25 km (15 miles) south-southwest of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, near Galur, on the southern side of the island of Java (), 17. ... Yogyakarta (also Jogjakarta in pre-1972 spelling or Jogja) is a city and province on the island of Java, Indonesia. ...

Monitoring

Merapi is the site of a very active volcano monitoring program. Seismic monitoring began in 1924, and the eruption of 1930 was found to have been preceded by a large earthquake swarm. There is currently a network of 8 seismographs around the mountain, allowing volcanologists to accurately pinpoint the hypocentres of tremors and quakes. A zone in which no quakes originate is found about 1.5 km below the summit, and is thought to be the location of the magma reservoir which feeds the eruptions. Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Seismographs (in Greek seismos = earthquake and graphein = write) are used by seismologists to record seismic waves. ... The hypocenter or hypocentre (literally: below the center from the Greek υπόκεντρον), also known as the focus, is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates. ... A magma chamber is a chamber typically between 1 km and 10 km beneath the surface of the Earth formed as rising magma forms a reservoir if it is unable to rise any further. ...

Other measurements taken on the volcano include magnetic measurements and tilt measurements. Small changes in the local magnetic field have been found to coincide with eruptions, and tilt measurements reveal the inflation of the volcano caused when the magma chamber beneath it is filling up. In physics, magnetism is one of the phenomena by which materials exert an attractive or repulsive force on other materials. ...

Lahars (a type of mudflow of pyroclastic material and water) are an important hazard on the mountain, and are caused by rain remobilizing pyroclastic flow deposits. Lahars can be detected seismically, as they cause a high-frequency seismic signal. Observations have found that about 50 mm of rain per hour is the threshold above which lahars are often generated. Lahar from a March 1982 eruption of Mount St. ... This article is geological phenomenon; a mudslide is also an alcoholic drink. ... Rain falling For other uses see Rain (disambiguation). ... Sine waves of various frequencies; the lower waves have higher frequencies than those above. ...

References

External links

• Live (30 minute) IR Satellite
• Live Volcanic Ash Advisories
• Map of Indonesian volcanoes active since 1900
• Global Volcanism Program entry
• Volcanological Survey of Indonesia
• Info and pictures
• Info and pictures
• FACTBOX-Five facts on Indonesia's Merapi volcano (Reuters, 24 April 2006)

• Satellite view of eruption
• A lot of sources concerning the Merapi-eruption in May 2006
• Map of population centers near Merapi (May, 2006)