REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SLEMAN - Mount Merapi, located in border of Sleman (Yogyakarta) and Central Java erupted again on Monday morning, spewing thick smoke up to two kilometers to the sky. It happened around 04:50 until 06:00 AM. Head Research and Development of Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG), Subandriyo said that Merapi eruption today is triggered by tectonic earthquake in Ciamis at 04:52 PM.
"This earthquake produced and pushed gas out from Merapi volcano," Subandriyo said recently.
Ash and gravel, which was produced by eruption, are harmless. It did not bring hot lava and heat clouds. However, BPPTKG not recommends climbing activity to the summit of Merapi.
Status of Mount Merapi is still normal. Beside Ciamis' earthquake, rain activity which almost happened all day on Sunday was predicted also triggered an increase in volcano activity. Subandriyo said that Mount Merapi eruption today was kind of a phreatic eruption.
The same eruption can occur again in Merapi as until now, Merapi has three times experienced same eruption since 2010. Merapi volcanic gas tends to have high activity.