The growth rate of the southwest lava dome is 5,700 cubic meters per day.
Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Mount Merapi released pyroclastic flow that travelled down 1.5 kilometers (km) to the Bebeng River on Wednesday at 6:42 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) stated.

"The pyroclastic flow was recorded by the seismogram as having an amplitude of 25 milimeters (mm) and a duration of 127 seconds," Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida noted in a statement here on Wednesday.

Humaida remarked that the wind was blowing to the east when the flow was emitted.

According to the BPPTKG observation on Wednesday from 00:00 a.m. to 06:00 a.m. WIB, the volcano also emitted incandescent lava nine times, with a maximum sliding distance of 1.5 km to the southwest region of the mountain.

In addition, the center recorded 24 avalanche quakes, with amplitudes of 3-18 mm for 16-117 seconds, and a tectonic earthquake, with an amplitude of 13 mm for 93 seconds.

As of January 7, 2022, the BPPTKG noted that the volume of the volcano’s southwest lava dome had reached 1,670,000 cubic meters, while the central one was at 3,007,000 cubic meters.

Related news: Mount Merapi lava domes' growth still modest, BPPTKG says

"The growth rate of the southwest lava dome reaches 5,700 cubic meters per day, while the growth of the central one is relatively constant," the BPPTKG head remarked.

Currently, the BPPTKG still maintains the status of Mount Merapi -- located on the border of the Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces -- at Level III (Advisory).

The erupted lava and pyroclastic flow are forecast to impact the southeast to southwest sectors of the mountain for a maximum distance of three km to the Woro River and five km to the Gendol, Kuning, Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih rivers.

It is estimated that if the mountain erupts explosively, it can project various volcanic materials within a radius of three km from its peak.

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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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