TRACES OF MERAPI'S ERUPTION | VOLCANIC ERUPTION

The 2010 Mount Merapi Eruption

The 2010 Mount Merapi eruption was a series of volcanic eruptive events that occurred at Mount Merapi in Indonesia. The eruption began on 25–26 October 2010, reached its peak activity on 4–5 November, and gradually subsided toward the end of November (with the official alert status lowered on 3 December).

This eruption reached a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 4, producing ash columns up to 16–18 km high, melting the lava dome and triggering pyroclastic flows that traveled as far as 15 km from the summit.

In terms of strength, the volume of tephra was estimated to exceed 100 × 10⁶ m³, about ten times greater than Merapi’s eruptions in the previous decade.

The death toll ranged from 353 to 386 people, who died due to hot pyroclastic flows, ash fall, and lahars, with hundreds more injured, while over 300,000 residents were displaced.[3] Material damage included dozens of villages destroyed, severe damage to infrastructure such as roads and bridges, heavily damaged agricultural landscapes, and total economic losses estimated at up to IDR 5 trillion (as of 2010).

Beginning its activity on 25 October, Merapi released pyroclastic flows and towering ash columns repeatedly within a relatively short period.

Three major eruptions were recorded on the night of 26 October, occurring at approximately 18:10, 18:15, and 18:25 WIB, each producing collapses of hot clouds and incandescent material. These events were reportedly not fully recorded on seismograms because they went overscale.

Activity intensity increased sharply, with the frequency of collapses rising from fewer than 100 to more than 180 events per day, and deformation of the lava dome reaching up to 42 cm per day, indicating strong magma pressure moving toward the surface.

The peak occurred on 4–5 November, when Merapi expelled ash columns up to 18 km high and generated dozens of pyroclastic flows, some reaching distances of up to 10 km.

The 2010 Merapi eruption claimed between 353 and 386 lives, mostly due to hot pyroclastic flows, thick ash clouds, and destructive lahars.

Of these, at least 341 deaths had been recorded by the end of November 2010, with around 2,000 houses destroyed and more than 300,000 people displaced.

The 2010 Merapi eruption was the largest event since the 1872 eruption and is often described as the most explosive in more than a century.

With a VEI of 4, this eruption was comparable to other major Indonesian eruptions, such as Mount Kelud in 2014 (VEI 4) and Mount Sinabung in 2013 (VEI 4).

Merapi was regarded as one of the most powerful eruptions of 2010, ranking second in Wired magazine’s “Pliny Event of the Year” after Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland.

Merapi’s spiritual guardian (juru kunci), Mbah Maridjan, was among those who lost their lives in this eruption.
For more detailed information, please visit: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Source of information: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Welcome to my little corner of the internet

This channel shares pieces of a simple Javanese daily life — morning routines, warm cups of tea, walks through the neighborhood, cooking traditional food, and quiet reflections. It’s about slowing down, finding beauty in small moments, and embracing self-love in everyday life.

Through these stories, I hope you’ll feel comforted, inspired, and reminded that happiness often comes from the simplest things.
‪@TheJavaneseSmile‬

Music Backsounds From Youtube Audio Library | Title: "Feels"