LIVING WITH MOUNT MERAPI, INDONESIA APRIL- MAY 2006

MOUNT MERAPI  ANOTHER INDONESIAN VOLCANO, KRAKATOA, ERUPTED IN 1883, SENDING ASH, DUST, AND PARTICLES AROUND THE WORLD.  MOUNT MERAPI, 2914 M (9640 FT) HIGH, IS KNOWN AS “FIRE MOUNTAIN,”  ITS LAST ERUPTION WAS IN  IN THE 1994 ERUPTION, A HOT GAS CLOUD KILLED 60 PEOPLE.

MOUNT MERAPI

 INDONESIA IS A LAND OF 220 MILLION PEOPLE AND 129 ACTIVE VOLCANOES.  INDONESIA IS KNOWN AS THE “LAND OF FIRE.”  MOUNT MERAPI IS LOCATED IN THE MOST DENSLY POPULATED PART OF INDONESIA

TOURISTS OBSERVING MOUNT MERAPI ON APRIL 20, 2006

MOUNT MERAPI SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE ON APRIL 22, 2006

SOME EVACUATE BY FLEEING TO THE FOOTHILLS

MOUNT MERAPI VENTS ON MAY 5, 2006

FARMER WORKS WHILE MOUNT MERAPI VENTS ON MAY 6, 2006

MOUNT MERAPI SHOWS SIGNS OF ERUPTING ON MAY 7, 2006

INITIAL GROUP OF EVACUEES RETURN HOME ON MAY 7

ADDITIONAL EVACUEES WAITING TO RETURN, MAY 9

PART OF LARGE EVACUATION ON MAY 11

MOUNT MERAPI  THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA ISSUED THE HIGHEST ALERT FOR MERAPI ON SATURDAY, MAY 13.  SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, MOSQUES, AND MILITARY COLLABORATED IN HELPING AN ESTIMATE4D 30,000 PEOPLE EVACUATE.

MOUNT MERAPI THREAT INCREASES ON MAY 14, 2006

MOUNT MERAPI ON MAY 15, 2006

MOUNT MERAPI EMITS LARGE CLOUD OF HOT GASES, MAY 15

MAY 15 ERUPTION OF MOUNT MERAPI  VULCANOLOGISTS BELIEVED THAT THE ERUPTION ON MONDAY, MAY 15, WHICH BLEW OUT A 2 ½ MILES WIDE CLOUD OF DEADLY GAS, ASH, AND ROCK,, WAS THE MAJOR ERUPTION THAT EVERYONE WAS EXPECTING.

PRESIDENT YUDHOYNO AND FIRST LADY ON MAY 16

ON MAY 17, MOUNT MERAPI SHOWED IT WAS NOT THROUGH  AFTER TWO DAYS OF QUIESENCE, ANOTHER ERUPTION.  IT WAS ANOTHER OF THOSE “GAS CLOUDS” LIKE THE ONE IN  IT WAS MOVING AT 100 TO 160 KM/HR (60 TO 100 MI/HR).  THE GAS CLOUD WAS DEADLY, BECAUSE IT WAS SUPER HEATED TO AROUND 950 DEGREES F.

MOUNT MERAPI ERUPTS ON MAY 17

WORKING IN VOLCANIC ASH FROM MOUNT MERAPI, MAY 17

A LAVA DOME IS GROWING ON MOUNT MERAPI

NEW CONCERN AT MOUNT MERAPI  DURING MAY, MOUNT MERAPI, WHICH IS CALLED “FIRE MOUNTAIN,” BUILT UP A LAVA DOME OF MORE THAN 90 M (300 FT) ON TOP OF A 2914 M (9,640 FT) SUMMIT.  AT PRESENT, THE FEAR IS THAT THE LAVA DOME WILL EXPLODE AND SEND RIVERS OF LAVA DOWN THE SOUTH SLOPE OF MERAPI.  FIFTEEN VILLAGES ARE LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SLOPE.