White and thick, weak-pressured smoke was observed from the crater, with a height of 50–75 meters.Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Mount Merapi on the border of Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces belched incandescent lava to its southwest twice on Thursday, the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) reported.
The incandescent lava traveled a maximum distance of 1,800 meters (1.8 kilometers) starting midnight till 6 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB, UTC+7).
During the observation period, 17 avalanche quakes with an amplitude of 3–15 millimeters (mm) and duration of 25.9–131.8 seconds and 2 phreatic quakes with an amplitude of 3–4 mm and duration of 23.3–42.8 seconds were also recorded, BPPTKG head Agus Budi Santoso said.
Furthermore, there were six multi-phase earthquakes with an amplitude of 3–11 mm and duration of 7.3–13.5 seconds as well as three shallow volcanic earthquakes with an amplitude of 27–74 mm and duration of 8.9–17.6 seconds.
On Thursday morning, the weather at the mountain was partly cloudy, the BPPTKG head noted.
The wind blew weakly to the west, while the air temperature was recorded at 14–21 degrees Celsius, with humidity reaching 68–95 percent and air pressure touching 627–686 mm Hg.
"White and thick, weak-pressured smoke was observed from the crater, with a height of 50–75 meters," Santoso informed.
Related news: Mt. Merapi emits 101 volcanic avalanches in one week: BPPTKG
According to a morphological analysis conducted by BPPTKG from July 1–7, 2022, the height of the mountain’s lava domes—the southwest and central domes—did not change.
The volume of the southwest dome was recorded at 1.645 million cubic meters, while the volume of the central dome was 2.582 million cubic meters.
Currently, the BPPTKG has maintained the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Watch.
Lava and pyroclastic flows from Mount Merapi are expected to affect areas in the south and southwest sectors of the volcano, which include Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, and Bebeng rivers.
The volcanic material may also impact the southeast sector that comprises the Woro and Gendol rivers.
If Mount Merapi experiences an explosive eruption, the volcanic material could reach an area within a radius of three kilometers from the peak of the volcano.
Related news: No indication of major eruption in Mt. Merapi: BPPTKG
Related news: BPPTKG records 128 avalanche earthquakes from Mount Merapi
Translator: Luqman Hakim, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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