February 8, 2016 - INDONESIA - Five bodies have been recovered and two other persons are still missing
after a landslide hit Purworejo district of Central Java on Friday,
rescuers said here Saturday.
Heavy downpours triggered the landslideat Penungkulan
village of Gebang sub-district at around 20:00 p.m. Jakarta time, at
least 2 houses being hit, said Marsudi, spokesman of the National Search
and Rescue Office.
"A rescuer team from Central Java office along with soldiers, police and
volunteers are searching for the missing now," he told Xinhua by phone.
The disaster also badly injured one villager and forced 75 others to
take shelter at safer places, said Budi Harjono, operational head in
disaster management agency in Purworejo district.
"Searching is under way now. We expect all the missing to be
found soon," he told Xinhua from the scene at Penungkulan village.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Management
Agency said over 250 personnel including those from local search and
rescue office, local disaster management agency and Red Cross, as well
as soldiers, police and volunteers, are involved in the search and
rescue operation.
"But access to the scene is hampered by crowd insisting on seeing the
accident ... Hence it disturbed vehicles to enter the area," he told
Xinhua over phone on Saturday.
Landslide is frequent in Indonesia during heavy rain that often leaves scores of casualties and damage. - Xinhuanet.
Lava flow from Krakatau in September, 2012 (Photo: Andi / Volcano Discovery, Indonesia)
November 16, 2015 - INDONESIA - According to our local correspondent Andi, an isolated (perhaps
phreatic) explosion occurred about 12 days ago, affecting the eastern
part of the summit flank. No further details are known.
The volcano has been mostly calm since the lava flow eruption in September,
2012, but it is only a question of time when the next phase of
activity occurs. - Volcano Discovery.
Krakatoa, or Krakatau (Indonesian: Krakatau), is a volcanic island situated in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung.
The name is also used for the surrounding island group comprising the remnants of a much larger island of three volcanic peaks which was obliterated in a cataclysmic 1883 eruption, unleashing huge tsunamis (killing more than 36,000 people) and destroying over two-thirds of the island.
The explosion is considered to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history, with reports of it being heard up to 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from its point of origin. The shock waves from the explosion were recorded on barographs worldwide. In 1927 a new island, Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatoa", emerged from the caldera formed in 1883 and is the current location of eruptive activity.
An 1888 lithograph of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.
The most notable eruptions of Krakatoa culminated in a series of massive explosions over August 26–27, 1883, which were among the most violent volcanic events in recorded history. With an estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, the eruption was equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT (840 PJ)—about 13,000 times the nuclear yield of the Little Boy bomb (13 to 16 kt) that devastated Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II, and four times the yield of Tsar Bomba (50 Mt), the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated.
The 1883 eruption ejected approximately 25 km3 (6 cubic miles) of rock. The cataclysmic explosion was heard 4,800 km (3,000 mi) away in Alice Springs, as well as on the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius, 4,653 km (2,891 mi) to the west. According to the official records of the Dutch East Indies colony, 165 villages and towns were destroyed near Krakatoa, and 132 were seriously damaged. At least 36,417 people died, and many more thousands were injured, mostly from the tsunamis that followed the explosion. The eruption destroyed two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa.
Eruptions in the area since 1927 have built a new island at the same location, named Anak Krakatau (which is Indonesian for "Child of Krakatoa"). Periodic eruptions have continued since, with recent eruptions in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. As of late 2011, this island has a radius of roughly 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), and a high point of about 324 metres (1,063 ft) above sea level, growing 5 metres (16 ft) each year.
Indonesia has over 130 active volcanoes, the most of any nation. They make up the axis of the Indonesian island arc system, which was produced by northeastward subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate. A majority of these volcanoes lie along Indonesia's two largest islands, Java and Sumatra. These two islands are separated by the Sunda Strait, which is located at a bend in the axis of the island arc. Krakatoa is directly above the subduction zone of the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate where the plate boundaries make a sharp change of direction, possibly resulting in an unusually weak crust in the region. - Wikipedia.
November 16, 2015 - INDONESIA - Authorities in West Sumatra have raised the alert level of Mount Marapi
after the volatile volcano began spewing clouds of hot ash late on
Saturday.
Pyroclastic clouds over the volcano's dome were first spotted at 10.33
p.m. on Saturday, officials from the Marapi observation post told local
media.
The activity continued well into Sunday morning. The same post
also reported a series of minor seismic quakes.
The eruption is considered fairly minor but authorities have issued a
warning to locals and hikers to stay beyond a three-kilometer radius
from Marapi's crater.
Authorities also elevated the mountain's status to
the second highest alert level.
The volcano registered a similar eruption on April 13. - RSOE EDIS.
May 4, 2015 - INDONESIA - Floods in two provinces of Indonesia have forced several thousand people from their homes over the last 3 days.
West Nusa Tenggara
West Lombok regency has been the worst affected area in the province of West Nusa Tenggara where a river overflowed after 2 days of heavy rain. Three people have been reported injured in the floods.
The latest figures from local National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB)
officials say that 1,229 families have been displaced by floods in at
least 5 communities in Kediri district in West Lombok regency.
Floodwater is said to have reached 1.5 meters in some places. Eight
houses have been damaged or destroyed and 100 hectares of rice fields
inundated.
Central Java
There have also been reports of some flooding in Grobogan regency in the
southwestern part of the Central Java province. Affected areas include
Mlangi, Kendalsari, Tajemsari and Karangpasar.
Flood water is reported to be between 50 cm and 150 cm in some
areas. Around 3,000 people have moved from their homes temporarily in
order to avoid the floods, according to BNPB officials, who also said that 163 hectares of rice fields have been damaged in the floods. - Floodlist.
March 30, 2015 - EARTH - Here are several of the latest reports of sinkholes across the globe as monumental planetary transformations continue.
Burundi landslides 'kill 10' near Bujumbura
This bridge was destroyed
At least 10 people are missing, feared dead, in Burundi after landslides which have destroyed hundreds of homes, officials say.
Some 3,000 people have been left homeless, according to a BBC reporter who has been to the scene.
Their houses were destroyed after mud and rocks, dislodged by the rain, plunged down the hillside.
Rivers full of rocks swept into Lake Tanganyika
Reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo say there have been similar problems across the border.
UN-backed Radio Okapi says 14 people have been killed on the Congolese side of Lake Tanganyika.
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has visited the scene of the landslides, 35km (20 miles) south of the capital Bujumbura.
The governor of Bujumbura district, Jacques Minani, described it as "a disaster", reports the AFP news agency.He said that the emergency services were now searching the area for survivors. - BBC.
Sinkhole Swallows Midtown Tulsa Street, Oklahoma, United States
A sinkhole opened up in a midtown Tulsa neighborhood. Traffic is being diverted from 18th Street, just east of Peoria.
Michelle Allen of the City of Tulsa said a storm sewer failed from the heavy rain last week.
A sinkhole opend up on 18th Street just east of Peoria.
Drivers are encouraged to find another route.
"The area is barricaded, and nobody was hurt," she said. "Storm water crews will be working on the repairs."
Firefighters
went door to door to warn residents that a sinkhole had swallowed part
of the street. Neighbors say police told them their homes are in no
danger.
WATCH: Hole swallows Midtown Tulsa Street.
No word yet on how soon the sinkhole can be repaired. Drivers are encouraged to find another route. - News On 6.
Landslide buries part of village in Java after heavy rains
A landslide killed six in Java, an official said on Sunday.
A landslide killed six in Java, an official said on Sunday.
Twelve
people were killed and 11 houses buried after a landslide triggered by
heavy rain in Indonesia's main island of Java, an official said Sunday.
The landslide hit Tegal Panjang village in Sukabumi district in west
Java late Saturday after a particularly heavy downpour, according to
national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
"We found all 12 bodies," he said in an update, revising the earlier death toll of 10 and two missing.
He said heavy rain caused a cliff to collapse and hit the village, burying 11 houses.
Landslides triggered by heavy rain and floods are common in tropical Indonesia during the rainy season.
The national disaster agency estimates around half the country's 250 million population lives in areas prone to landslides.
The vast Indonesian archipelago, one of the world's most disaster-prone
nations, is also frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. - The Star.
Heavy unseasonal rains trigger landslide in Himalayan region of Kashmir
A
landslide in the Himalayan region of Kashmir buried at least 10 people
while they were sleeping, police said on Monday, as unseasonal rains
swept India, damaging crops and raising fears of flash floods in the
mountainous north.
Hundreds
of people fled their homes as Kashmir's main rivers began to swell and
weather forecasters predicted further downpours in the region that was
struck by devastating floods seven months ago.
A
hillside collapsed onto a house in a village about 40 kms (25 miles)
from the capital Srinagar, where three families were sleeping on Monday
morning, according to Mushtaq Ahmad, a neighbor. Army and police used
diggers and shovels to locate any survivors."It was a huge landslide,
the entire house is covered in earth," Ahmad said. "The chance of
finding everyone alive is unlikely."
Local police
superintendent Fayaz Ahmad Lone said 10 people were buried in the house
in the village of Ledhan. Locals said the number could be higher.
India is experiencing more extreme rainfall events as the global
climate warms, a study of 50 years of data by the Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology concluded.
This year, March has been the
wettest month in more than a century, wrecking millions of hectares of
winter crops. The crop damage has been blamed for a spate of rural
suicides in recent weeks.
In September, the Kashmir valley suffered the worst flooding in more than a century, killing more than 200 people and displacing almost a million for weeks.
The misery has added to problems in a Muslim-majority state where a
revolt against Indian rule has simmered for a quarter of a century.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and claimed in full by
both countries. Weather officials said heavy showers would occur in
isolated places in Kashmir over the next couple days although the
intensity of rain is likely to diminish. The state has received surplus
rainfall in two-thirds of its districts this month. On Monday, the
Kashmiri government declared a flood alert and asked people living near
the river Jhelum, which flowsthrough Srinagar, to leave their homes. The
government has established relief camps for those forced to flee.Mujeeb
Ahmad, a doctor, left with his family on Sunday evening. "Last year my
family was caught in floods and we were only rescued after four days,"
Ahmad said. "We don't want to take any chances." - Reuters
Man rescued from sinkhole in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States after he calls 911
Rescuers pulled a man from a sinkhole that opened up on the Mansfield Bridgein McKeesport on Saturday night.
West
Fifth Avenue below the bridge was closed, McKeesport Deputy Fire Chief
Don Sabol said. Authorities also stopped train traffic during the
rescue, he said. The cause of the sinkhole was not immediately known,
Sabol said. WATCH: Man pulled from sinkhole in McKeesport.
According to a tweet sent out by Western PA Fire News, confined space rescue was needed andthe man was about ten feet down into the hole.
The man was carried off on a stretcher and flown to an area hospital
after firefighters rescued him. The incident was reported by emergency
dispatchers around 7:30 p.m., when the man called 911 himself, after falling in the hole.
The man is in his forties and was walking to meet a friend at the
Marathon gas station in McKeesport, when he fell. Officials are still
investigating, what caused the sinkhole. - WPXI.
February 27, 2015 - FLORES SEA, PACIFIC OCEAN
- A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake has just hit the Flores Sea
region, 132km north of Nebe, Indonesia according to the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS).
The tremor occurred at 13:45:05 UTC and was located at 7.277°S 122.534°E.
The
depth was 547km. Due to the depth of the hypocenter, preliminary depths
are varying in between 550 and 600 km, this earthquake will normally
not be damaging. Therefore, no tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific
Tsunami Warning Center.
USGS shakemap intensity
Google Maps
Google Maps
Light to moderate shaking will be felt over a wide area of a couple of thousand km, but no damage will be inflicted.
USGS initially measured the temblor as a 6.6 magnitude, but later upgraded it.
Indonesia
lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where a large number of
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific
Ocean.
Tectonic Summary - Seismotectonics of the Java Region
The
Sunda convergent margin extends for 5,600 km from the Bay of Bengal and
the Andaman Sea, both located northwest of the map area, towards Sumba
Island in the southeast, and then continues eastward as the Banda arc
system. This tectonically active margin is a result of the India and
Australia plates converging with and subducting beneath the Sunda plate
at a rate of approximately 50 to 70 mm/yr. The main physiographic
feature associated with this convergent margin is the Sunda-Java Trench,
which stretches for 3,000 km parallel to the Java and Sumatra land
masses and terminates at 120° E. The convergence of the Indo-Australia
and Sunda plates produces two active volcanic arcs: Sunda, which extends
from 105 to 122° E and Banda, which extends from 122 to 128° E. The
Sunda arc results solely from relatively simple oceanic plate
subduction, while the Banda arc represents the transition from oceanic
subduction to continental collision, where a complex, broad deforming
zone is found.
Based on modern activity, the Banda arc can be
divided into three distinct zones: an inactive section, the Wetar Zone -
bound by two active segments, the Flores Zone in the west and the Damar
Zone in the east. The lack of volcanism in the Wetar Zone is attributed
to the collision of Australia with the Sunda plate. The gap in volcanic
activity is underlain by a gap in intermediate depth seismicity, which
is in contrast to nearly continuous deep seismicity below all three
sections of the arc. The Flores Zone is characterized by down-dip
compression in the subducted slab at intermediate depths and late
Quaternary uplift of the forearc. These unusual features, along with GPS
data interpretations, show that the Flores Zone marks the transition
between subduction of oceanic crust in the west and the collision of
continental crust in the east.
USGS plate tectonics for the region.
The Java section of the Sunda arc is considered relatively aseismic historically when compared to the highly seismically active Sumatra section, despite both areas being located along the same active subduction margin. Shallow (0-20 km) events have occurred historically in the overlying Sunda plate, causing damage to local and regional communities. A recent example was the May 26, 2006 M6.3 left-lateral strike-slip event, which occurred at a depth of 10 km in central Java, and caused over 5,700 fatalities. Intermediate depth (70-300 km) earthquakes frequently occur beneath Java as a result of intraplate faulting within the Australia slab. Deep (300-650 km) earthquakes occur beneath the Java Sea and the back-arc region to the north of Java. Similar to other intermediate depth events these earthquakes are also associated with intraslab faulting. However, this subduction zone exhibits a gap in seismicity from 250-400 km, interpreted as the transition between extensional and compressional slab stresses. Historic examples of large intraplate events include: the 1903 M8.1 event, 1921 M7.5 event, 1977 M8.3 event, and August 2007 M7.5 event.
Large thrust earthquakes close to the Java trench are typically interplate faulting events along the slab interface between the Australia and Sunda plates. These earthquakes also generally have high tsunamigenic potential due to their shallow hypocentral depths. In some cases, these events have demonstrated slow moment-release, and have been defined as ‘tsunami’ earthquakes, where rupture is large in the weak crustal layers very close to the seafloor. These events are categorized by tsunamis that are significantly larger than predicted by the earthquake???s magnitude. The most notable tsunami earthquakes in the Java region occurred on June 2, 1994 (M7.8) and July 17, 2006 (M7.7). The 1994 event produced a tsunami with wave run-up heights of 13 m, killing over 200 people. The 2006 event produced a tsunami of up to 15 m, and killed 730 people. While both of these tsunami earthquakes were characterized by rupture along thrust faults, they were followed by an abundance of normal faulting aftershocks. These aftershocks are interpreted to result from extension within the subducting Australia plate, while the mainshocks represented interplate faulting between the Australia and Sunda plates.
February 26, 2015 -KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA - Kalimantan is among the regions in the archipelago known to befree of earthquakes, but a recent series of light tostrong quakes recorded in North Kalimantan have shaken that belief.
The latest quake was one recorded measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale
that hit Tarakan on Tarakan Island in North Kalimantan at 9.31 a.m.
local time on Wednesday.
Meteorology, Climatology and
Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Balikpapan station head Mudjianto said the
earthquake's epicenter was located in the Sulu Sea, which was closer to
cities in the Malaysian state of Sabah, such as Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu,
Lahat Datu, Tawau and Beaufort.
Cities in Indonesia that were
close to the quake's epicenter were Tarakan on Tarakan Island and Tideng
Pale in the Tana Tidung regency, located 432 kilometers away, and
Nunukan in the Nunukan regency, located at the border with Sabah and
across from Tawau, located 416 km from the epicenter.
"We did
not calculate the quake's duration given the distance," said Mudjianto.
He added that the duration could only have been recorded had the tremor
reached human settlements or human structures. The magnitude of this
quake was recorded by sensors owned by BMKG and was not felt on the sea,
or on land in Kalimantan, or on the surrounding islands.
"So, it's not correct to say Tarakan city was jolted by the quake because it was not too pronounced," said Mudjianto.
The tremor was most likely caused by movement of the
southwest-northeast lying fault line traversing the Sulu Sea between
Borneo Island and the Philippine archipelago.
The BMKG
Balikpapan station recorded a number of quakes in the same region.
Earlier, a quake took place on Jan. 20 with its epicenter also in the
Sulu Sea at a depth of 10,000 meters, 287 km northeast of Tarakan.
However, the 5.6-magnitude quake was not felt in Tarakan.
An
earthquake also took place on Nov. 9, 2014. Seven aftershocks with
magnitudes of between 4.1 and 6.5 on the Richter scale were recorded.
Separately, the head of the Earthquake and Soil Movement Mitigation
Division at the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center,
Gede Swantika, said Borneo's northern region was more prone to quakes
than other regions on the world's third largest island.
"The
region is included in the area where the Eurasian and Pacific faults
meet. There is also a micro fault that we call the Carolina fault,"
Swantika said in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday.
He added the
movement of the earth's crust, which triggered the quake, was the
result of the active Eurasian and Pacific fault movement, so the
northern part of Borneo was more prone to quakes than other regions.
He said the increase in the height of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah,
Malaysia, was part of the active fault movements. The mountain, located
north of Kalimantan, has increased in height by around 64 millimeters
annually.
"This is attributed to active fault movements," said
Swastika, adding it does not preclude the chances of landslides
occurring, especially in sloped areas.
He added Borneo was a
region with rock formations considered ancient compared to other islands
in Indonesia. Rock formations in Kalimantan may be of the same age as
those on Papua Island.
Kalimantan has been said to be among the
three regions, the others being Belitung and Riau, that are quake free
and has been considered suitable for the development of nuclear energy
as it is relatively safe from the threat of natural disasters.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific
"Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific
Basin.
Because of their proximity to the ring of fire, regions
like Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Banda and Maluku are considered
tsunami, volcano and earthquake prone zones. - Asia One.
January 26, 2014 - INDONESIA - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's main island of Java on Saturday, the US Geological Survey reported, flattening homes and sending panicked residents running onto the street.
USGS earthquake location.
Dozens of buildings were damaged, including 16 houses and that collapsed in the town of Banyumas, as well as a mosque that crumbled, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
"Authorities are continuing to asses other buildings for damage,'' he said.
USGS earthquake shakemap intensity.
"So far there are no reports of casualties.''
People in the town of Adipala near the epicentre said they felt the ground shaking hard for up to 20 seconds, as the quake struck in the sea off the coast of southern Java.
"We all just ran onto the street, there were so many people,'' Astri, a florist who goes by one name, told AFP by phone from her flower shop.
Struck ... A woman passes a
mosque that collapsed after a 6.1-magnitude quake rocked Java island, in
Banyumas, Indonesia. Picture: Idhad Zakaria Source: AP
Over and out ... A soldier uses his radio
near a mosque that collapsed after a 6.1-magnitude quake rocked Java.
Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the
so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire". Picture: Idhad Zakaria
The picture shows a house damaged by an earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Aceh Province on July 3, 2013.Picture: Idhad Zakaria Source: AP
A painting representing Jesus on the cross hangs from a wall of a
damaged house following an earthquake in Concordia sulla Secchia.
(Lorenzo Moscia, Lapresse, AP, file)
"But it doesn't seem to have damaged anything around here, and we're getting back to work,'' she said.
The quake struck 39 kilometres south-southeast of Adipala, according to the USGS. It was felt in several towns up to 50 kilometres from the Javanese coast, including in the more densely populated Yogyakarta city, where at least eight homes were damaged, Nugroho said.
The quake hit at 12.14 pm (4.15pm AEST) at a depth of 83 kilometres, and Indonesia's meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency said there was no risk of a tsunami.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire'', where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
A 6.1-magnitude quake that struck Aceh province on Sumatra island in July 2013 killed at least 35 people and left thousands homeless. - News Australia.
Tectonic Summary - Seismotectonics Of The Java Region.
USGS plate tectonics for the region.
The Sunda convergent margin extends for 5,600 km from the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea in the northwest towards Sumba Island in the southeast, and then continues eastward as the Banda arc system. This tectonically active margin is a result of the India and Australia plates converging with and subducting beneath the Sunda plate at a rate of approximately 50 to 70 mm/yr. The main physiographic feature associated with this convergent margin is the Sunda-Java Trench, which stretches for 3,000 km parallel to the Java and Sumatra land masses and terminates at 120° E. The convergence of the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates produces two active volcanic arcs: Sunda, which extends from 105 to 122° E and Banda, which extends from 122 to 128° E. The Sunda arc results solely from relatively simple oceanic plate subduction, while the Banda arc represents the transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision, where a complex, broad deforming zone is found.
Based on modern activity, the Banda arc can be divided into three distinct zones, an inactive section - the Wetar Zone - bound by two active segments, the Flores Zone in the west and the Damar Zone in the east. The lack of volcanism in the Wetar Zone is attributed to the collision of Australia with the Sunda plate. The gap in volcanic activity is underlain by a gap in intermediate depth seismicity, in contrast to nearly continuous deep seismicity below all three sections of the arc. The Flores Zone is characterized by down-dip compression in the subducted slab at intermediate depths and late Quaternary uplift of the forearc. These unusual features, along with GPS data interpretations, show that the Flores Zone marks the transition between subduction of oceanic crust in the west and the collision of continental crust in the east.
The Java section of the Sunda arc is considered relatively aseismic historically when compared to the highly seismically active Sumatra section, despite both areas being located along the same active subduction margin. Shallow (0-20 km) events have occurred historically in the overlying Sunda plate, causing damage to local and regional communities. A recent example was the May 26th, 2006 M6.3 left-lateral strike-slip event, which occurred at a depth of 10 km in central Java, and which caused over 5,700 fatalities. Intermediate depth (70-300 km) earthquakes frequently occur beneath Java as a result of intraplate faulting within the Australia slab. Deep (300-650 km) earthquakes occur beneath the Java Sea and the back-arc region to the north of Java. Like intermediate depth events these earthquakes are also associated with intraslab faulting, though this subduction zone exhibits a gap in seismicity from 250-400 km, interpreted as the transition between extensional and compressional slab stresses. Historic examples of large intraplate events include the 1903 M8.1 event, the 1921 M7.5 event, the 1977 M8.3 event, and the August 2007 M7.5 event.
Large thrust earthquakes close to the Java trench are typically interplate faulting events along the slab interface between the Australia and Sunda plates. These earthquakes also generally have high tsunamigenic potential due to their shallow hypocentral depths. In some cases, these events have demonstrated slow moment-release, and have been defined as ‘tsunami’ earthquakes, where rupture is large in the weak crustal layers very close to the seafloor. These events are categorized by tsunamis that are significantly larger than predicted by the earthquake???s magnitude. The most notable tsunami earthquakes in the Java region occurred on June 2nd, 1994 (M7.8) and July 17th, 2006 (M7.7). The 1994 event produced a tsunami with wave run-up heights of 13 m, killing over 200 people. The 2006 event produced a tsunami of up to 15 m, and killed 730 people. While both of these tsunami earthquakes were characterized by rupture along thrust faults, they were followed by an abundance of normal faulting aftershocks. These aftershocks are interpreted to result from extension within the subducting Australia plate, while the mainshocks represented interplate faulting between the Australia and Sunda plates. - USGS.
November 13, 2013 - INDONESIA - Mount Marapi, which
is located in the Tanahdatar and Agam districts in the West Sumatra
Province, erupted again on Wednesday morning.
"The eruption occurred at 09:01 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard
Time (WIB). The volcano produced thick gray smoke, which reached a
height of up to 350 meters from the top towards the eastern direction,"
Warseno from the Bukittinggi Volcanology and Geological Disaster
Mitigation Agency, revealed.
The status of Mount Marapi has been declared now and its volcanic alert level has been marked at the second level.
Local villagers have been told to stay away from within a radius of three kilometers from the volcanos crater.
Mount Marapis volcanic activities have intensified since August 3,
2011. It had earlier spewed volcanic ash to a height of up to 1,000
meters, affecting several districts, such as Agam, Tanah Datar,
Padangpariaman and Padang Panjang.
Mount Marapi is situated next to Mount Singgalang and Mount Tandikek.
The Mount Marapi area was declared a nature reserve and a tourist
attraction in West Sumatra. It is one of the very active volcanoes and
has erupted multiple times. - Antara News.
July 22, 2013 - INDONESIA - Indonesia's most volatile volcano spewed smoke and ash Monday,
forcing hundreds of people to flee their villages along its slopes, a
disaster official said.
Villagers look at the Merapi volcano in Cangkringan, Indonesia, Monday, July 22, 2013.
Mount Merapi on the main island of Java
rumbled as heavy rain fell around its cloud-covered crater, said Sutopo
Purwo Nugroho, disaster mitigation agency spokesman.
The volcano unleashed a column of dark red volcanic material 1,000
meters (3,280 feet) into the air, and the ash made the rain thick and
muddy in several villages as terrified residents fled to safety, he
said.
The sound was heard 30 kilometers (18 miles) away, but an
eruption did not occur and the volcano's alert level was not raised,
Nugroho said.
The 2,968-meter (9,737-foot) mountain is the most
active of 500 Indonesian volcanoes. Its last major eruption in 2010
killed 347 people.
Indonesia, an archipelago of 240 million
people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it sits
along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped series of fault
lines. - TWC.
June 13, 2013 - INDONESIA - A powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake has just hit south of Java, Indonesia. The tremor struck 170km northeast of Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island - a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean.
USGS earthquake location.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the earthquake hit at
16:47:23 UTC, at 10.030°S 107.182°E, with a depth of 11.1km (6.9 miles).
No tsunami warning was issued.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, an official said.
According
to initial reports, the tremor was felt in Kawalu, Sumatra, Singaparna,
Java and Bali and other remote parts of southern Indonesia. Setiabudi,
Kuningan, a resident of Jakarta, said that the, "Lamp swayed, I thought
I had a headache but things were shaking for way too long for a
headache."
Another resident in Banjar, indicated that the shaking lasted for 5 to 10 seconds.
USGS earthquake shakemap intensity.
"The floor and the chair I was sitting on began to move. It lasted 5 - 10 seconds I am not sure. I got up to see what was happening and the floor was moving below my feet. I saw the shutters shaking. I thought it must be an earthquake and then everything just stopped and it was calm once again," said a resident of Borobodur.
The Indonesian-Australian area is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
April 22, 2013 - INDONESIA - Contrary to earlier reports, no building collapsed due to the quake. But at least 311 houses were damaged. 34 of them with severe and 27 with moderate damage.
Image courtesy and copyright kompas.com
Besides the damage, 2 people were injured by the quake.
A woman and her child suffered fractures and were taken to a nearby hospital. Evacuated people are gradually returning to their villages due to a decrease in volcanic activity of the Dieng volcano complex.
At least 3 buildings in local villages collapsed due to the shaking. 9 additional buildings were affected with major damage. Nobody was injured. It is expected that this quake was tectonic nature, but with probably related to Deng volcano.
86 weaker earthquakes followed the main shock within 25 minutes. Cracks in walls and further damaged houses are the result of this Dieng earthquake which has also a volcanic basis.
1000 people have been evacuated to shelters provided by the Indonesian authorities. The earthquakes are part of the activity of the Dieng volcano. The alert level has been raised to Siaga on March 27. The volcano last eruption was in 2009. - Earthquake Report.
April 10, 2013 - PHILIPPINES - A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Batan Islands Region of the Philippines today, US seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
USGS earthquake map and location.
The US Geological Survey said the quake had a depth of 15.9 kilometres (9.9 miles) and hit at 20:20:27 UTC some 29 kilometres east of Itbayat.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also measured the quake at 6.1 magnitude and warned that aftershocks were expected.
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with an average of 20 typhoons battering the island nation every year.
It also sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire—a belt around the Pacific Ocean dotted by active volcanoes and unstable ocean trenches.
A 7.6-magnitude quake hit the country’s east coast on August 31, 2012, triggering a tsunami alert that forced more than 130,000 to flee their homes and causing a landslide that killed one person.
USGS earthquake shakemap intensity.
Tectonic Summary - Seismotectonics of the Philippine Sea and Vicinity.
The Philippine Sea plate is bordered by the larger Pacific and Eurasia plates and the smaller Sunda plate. The Philippine Sea plate is unusual in that its borders are nearly all zones of plate convergence. The Pacific plate is subducted into the mantle, south of Japan, beneath the Izu-Bonin and Mariana island arcs, which extend more than 3,000 km along the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea plate. This subduction zone is characterized by rapid plate convergence and high-level seismicity extending to depths of over 600 km. In spite of this extensive zone of plate convergence, the plate interface has been associated with few great (Magnitude greater than 8.0) ‘megathrust’ earthquakes. This low seismic energy release is thought to result from weak coupling along the plate interface (Scholz and Campos, 1995). These convergent plate margins are also associated with unusual zones of back-arc extension (along with resulting seismic activity) that decouple the volcanic island arcs from the remainder of the Philippine Sea Plate (Karig et al., 1978; Klaus et al., 1992).
South of the Mariana arc, the Pacific plate is subducted beneath the Yap Islands along the Yap trench. The long zone of Pacific plate subduction at the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea Plate is responsible for the generation of the deep Izu-Bonin, Mariana, and Yap trenches as well as parallel chains of islands and volcanoes, typical of circum-pacific island arcs. Similarly, the northwestern margin of the Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath the Eurasia plate along a convergent zone, extending from southern Honshu to the northeastern coast of Taiwan, manifested by the Ryukyu Islands and the Nansei-Shoto (Ryukyu) trench. The Ryukyu Subduction Zone is associated with a similar zone of back-arc extension, the Okinawa Trough. At Taiwan, the plate boundary is characterized by a zone of arc-continent collision, whereby the northern end of the Luzon island arc is colliding with the buoyant crust of the Eurasia continental margin offshore China.
USGS earthquake historic seismicity.
Along its western margin, the Philippine Sea plate is associated with a zone of oblique convergence with the Sunda Plate. This highly active convergent plate boundary extends along both sides the Philippine Islands, from Luzon in the north to the Celebes Islands in the south. The tectonic setting of the Philippines is unusual in several respects: it is characterized by opposite-facing subduction systems on its east and west sides; the archipelago is cut by a major transform fault, the Philippine Fault; and the arc complex itself is marked by active volcanism, faulting, and high seismic activity. Subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate occurs at the eastern margin of the archipelago along the Philippine Trench and its northern extension, the East Luzon Trough. The East Luzon Trough is thought to be an unusual example of a subduction zone in the process of formation, as the Philippine Trench system gradually extends northward (Hamburger et al., 1983). On the west side of Luzon, the Sunda Plate subducts eastward along a series of trenches, including the Manila Trench in the north, the smaller less well-developed Negros Trench in the central Philippines, and the Sulu and Cotabato trenches in the south (Cardwell et al., 1980). At its northern and southern terminations, subduction at the Manila Trench is interrupted by arc-continent collision, between the northern Philippine arc and the Eurasian continental margin at Taiwan and between the Sulu-Borneo Block and Luzon at the island of Mindoro. The Philippine fault, which extends over 1,200 km within the Philippine arc, is seismically active. The fault has been associated with major historical earthquakes, including the destructive M7.6 Luzon earthquake of 1990 (Yoshida and Abe, 1992). A number of other active intra-arc fault systems are associated with high seismic activity, including the Cotabato Fault and the Verde Passage-Sibuyan Sea Fault (Galgana et al., 2007).
Relative plate motion vectors near the Philippines (about 80 mm/yr) is oblique to the plate boundary along the two plate margins of central Luzon, where it is partitioned into orthogonal plate convergence along the trenches and nearly pure translational motion along the Philippine Fault (Barrier et al., 1991). Profiles B and C reveal evidence of opposing inclined seismic zones at intermediate depths (roughly 70-300 km) and complex tectonics at the surface along the Philippine Fault.
Several relevant tectonic elements, plate boundaries and active volcanoes, provide a context for the seismicity presented on the main map. The plate boundaries are most accurate along the axis of the trenches and more diffuse or speculative in the South China Sea and Lesser Sunda Islands. The active volcanic arcs (Siebert and Simkin, 2002) follow the Izu, Volcano, Mariana, and Ryukyu island chains and the main Philippine islands parallel to the Manila, Negros, Cotabato, and Philippine trenches.
Seismic activity along the boundaries of the Philippine Sea Plate (Allen et al., 2009) has produced 7 great (Magnitude greater than 8.0) earthquakes and 250 large (Magnitude greater than 7) events. Among the most destructive events were the 1923 Kanto, the 1948 Fukui and the 1995 Kobe (Japan) earthquakes (99,000, 5,100, and 6,400 casualties, respectively), the 1935 and the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquakes (3,300 and 2,500 casualties, respectively), and the 1976 M7.6 Moro Gulf and 1990 M7.6 Luzon (Philippines) earthquakes (7,100 and 2,400 casualties, respectively). There have also been a number of tsunami-generating events in the region, including the Moro Gulf earthquake, whose tsunami resulted in more than 5000 deaths. - USGS.
April 03, 2013 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.
Current seismic signal (IGN).
El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain):
A series of stronger earthquakes has occurred earlier today, including
two felt quakes at about 20 km depth of magnitudes 4.2 and 4.5.
Current seismic swarm (IGN).
The
epicenters were in the same area as previously, about 10-15 km to the
west of the island.
Lava fountain from Etna's New SE crater during the 9th paroxysm (RadioStudio7 webcam).
Etna (Sicily, Italy):
The 9th paroxysmal eruption from Etna's New SE crater in 2013 has
occurring this afternoon and is currently at its peak phase it seems.
It is producing lava fountains and lava flows from the fissure vent of the New SE cone that descend into Valle del Bove.
Ijen (East Java, Indonesia):
Authorities have decided to close access to Kawah Ijen. The decision
was based on elevated seismic and degassing activity observed since 20
March. Gas plumes often reach more than 100 m in height.
Guntur (West Java):
Elevated seismic activity has been detected at the volcano and VSI
raised the alert level to 2 on a scale of 1-4 ("Waspada", "watch"). It
is recommended not to approach the crater within 2 km. The last eruption of the volcano dates back to October 1847.
Garut Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chief Zat Zat Munazat has instructed Garut residents, especially those living close to Mount Guntur, to stay calm after the volcano’s alert level was raised to waspada (caution) or level 2 from normal or level 1.
“Mount Guntur is still at a level that poses no danger; so we ask people not to panic,” Zat Zat told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Tuesday evening. Mount Guntur spewed lava and pyroclastic materials, such as hot gas, volcanic ash and rocks, between 1840 and 1847. “Mount Guntur has not erupted for 162 years,” said Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) head Surono via text messages.
The PVMBG recorded an increase in volcanic activity at Mount Guntur from January to March. “There has been an increase in seismic activity since 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday in which volcanic tremors have been recorded,” said Surono.
Based on the results of seismic, visual and deformation (the change in shape of the volcano) monitoring, the PVMBG increased the status of Mount Guntur to caution starting at 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
“We will continue to intensively monitor volcanic activities while at the same time coordinate with the local disaster mitigation agency,” said Surono.
Mount Lokon (Indonesia): Mount Lokon in Indonesia’s central North Sulawesi province erupted Wednesday, spewing ash to the sky and volcanic materials around the slope, an official said.
The volcano in Tomohon city erupted at 12:28 local time (0428 GMT), said Surono, head of national volcanology agency. The agency has issued a 2.5-kilometer evacuation zone, according to Surono.
“Volcanic materials were spread and fell around the slope, but the height of the ash could not be assessed as it is covered by cloud,” the told Xinhua by phone.
But the agency did not recommend evacuation after the eruption, said Surono. The archipelago country Indonesia is homed by 129 active volcanoes.
March 18, 2013 - INDONESIA - A landslide killed three people and injured another after days of heavy rain drenched Papua’s provincial capital.
The
landslide destroyed a home in the Gereje Emanuel housing complex in
North Jayapura early Sunday morning, police said. Three occupants, ages
17 to 26, were killed in the landslide.
““They were found dead
as soon as they were removed from under the landslide; [their remains]
were admitted to Dok II Hospital,” Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I
Gede Sumerta Jaya said on Sunday.
Hans Loen, 40, suffered injuries to his legs and chest in the landslide. He was admitted to Dok II Hospital for treatment.
Heavy
rains have fallen on Jayapura since Saturday, leaving some sections of
the city inundated with 30 centimeters of water and backing up traffic
for some five hours. - Jakarta Globe.
March 10, 2013 - JAPAN - The earthquake zones off of certain coasts -- like those of Japan and Java -- make them especially vulnerable to tsunamis, according to a new study. They can produce a focusing point that creates massive and devastating tsunamis that break the rules for how scientists used to think tsunamis work.
Until now, it was largely believed that the maximum tsunami height onshore could not exceed the depth of the seafloor. But new research shows that when focusing occurs, that scaling relationship breaks down and flooding can be up to 50 percent deeper with waves that do not lose height as they get closer to shore.
"It is as if one used a giant magnifying lens to focus tsunami energy," said Utku Kanoglu, professor at the Middle East Technical University and senior author of the study. "Our results show that some shorelines with huge earthquake zones just offshore face a double whammy: not only they are exposed to the tsunamis, but under certain conditions, focusing amplifies these tsunamis far more than shoaling and produces devastating effects."
The team observed this effect both in Northern Japan, which was struck by the Tohoku tsunami of 2011, and in Central Java, which was struck by a tsunami in 2006.
"We are still trying to understand the implications," said Costas Synolakis, director of the Tsunami Research Center at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and a co-author of the study. "But it is clear that our findings will make it easier to identify locales that are tsunami magnets, and thus help save lives in future events."
During an earthquake, sections of the sea floor lift up while others sink. This creates tsunamis that propagate trough-first in one direction and crest-first in the other. The researchers discovered that on the side of the earthquake zone where the wave propagates trough-first, there is a location where focusing occurs -- strengthening it before it hits the coastline with an unusual amount of energy that is not seen by the crest-first wave. Based on the shape, location, and size of the earthquake zone, that focal point can concentrate the tsunami's power right on to the coastline.
In addition, before this analysis, it was thought that tsunamis usually decrease in height continuously as they move away from where they are created and grow close to shore, just as wind waves do. The study's authors instead suggest that the crest of the tsunami remains fairly intact close to the source.
"While our study does not preclude that other factors may help tsunamis overgrow, we now know when to invoke exotic explanations for unusual devastation: only when the basic classic wave theory we use does not predict focusing, or if the focusing is not high enough to explain observations," said Vasily Titov, a researcher at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and study co-author. - Science Daily.
March 08, 2013 - PHILIPPINES - While studying movement patterns in the earth under Metro Manila,
geologists have discovered a boundary or "ridge" —a possible fault line—
between flood-prone subsiding areas and gradually rising areas in the
metro.
However, Phivolcs said that there is no clear evidence of a "new" active fault line in Metro Manila.
Geologist Dr. Kelvin S. Rodolfo on March 7 points to what appears to be a
newly-identified "ridge" (indicated by the dotted line) separating
Manila into flood-prone subsiding areas (yellow and red) and rising
areas (green and blue). Observers are speculating that the ridge may be a
heretofore unidentified fault line.
On the morning of March 6, landscape architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren posted a photo on his Facebook page
of Dr. Kelvin S. Rodolfo, Professor Emeritus of the Dept. of Earth
& Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago,
giving a talk on issues surrounding proposed reclamation efforts in
Manila Bay.
Rodolfo's talk touched on a geologic survey
map of Manila, which indicated areas that are subsiding —and are
therefore prone to floods— as well as other areas of the metro that are
gradually rising.
However,
what caught Alcazaren's and other observers' eyes was that there seemed
to be a dividing "ridge" separating these subsiding and rising areas.
"Subsidence
on one side leads to greater flood risks, but what could be of greater
risk is the presence of not one but two major fault lines in the metro
—and the scenario of greater loss of lives in a major earthquake,"
Alcazaren said in his Facebook post.
"Nasilip nila ito
accidentally. Pinag-aaralan nila yung subsidence ng Metro Manila. When
they were getting data, the rate of subsidence of the northwest side of
the metro was different from the southwest side," Alcazaren further
explained in a phone interview.
However, Alcazaren reiterated Rodolfo's call for a more comprehensive investigation into the possible existence of a fault.
"Any remote observation has to be verified on the ground," Alcazaren said.
No cause for panic
An "unmapped" fault line caused the magnitude-6.9 quake that shook Dumaguete and its neighboring regions on the afternoon of February 6, 2012 according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). The earthquake was caused by the sudden shifting of two tectonic plates in the Visayas area. The shift was from a "blind fault" some 20kms below the earth between Negros and Cebu. Dr. Ishmael Narag, chief of Phivolcs' Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division, said that the February 6 earthquake was not traced to any known existing faults in the area, suggesting the presence of a previously unmapped fault.
In
a separate interview, Rodolfo explained that it was the Science and
Technology Department’s Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment
of Hazard) subsidence study that discovered the fault. Rodolfo is as a
consultant for Project NOAH.
“The study was conducted
mainly because we have lots of evidence on the ground that large areas
of Manila are sinking… [My mentioning of the fault was] a side product
of our study of areas of subsidence. It gave us the indication that
there may be a fault that [was] previously unrecognized,” he told GMA
News.
“Ang maganda sa finding namin, kung fault talaga siya, it was manifested because it is moving very slowly,” Rodolfo said.
He noted that his team at Project NOAH is validating their “initial finding.”
“The
most important thing is to verify it on the ground. That, I believe, is
happening right now. People from Project NOAH are actually going on the
ground looking to see whether there is direct evidence on the ground
for the existence of the fault,” he added.
Still, the
geologist said that the supposed new discovery should not cause panic
the public. “It is not the time to make people worried about something
as long as we have not really pinned it down scientifically yet.”
Phivolcs assurance
Meanwhile, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum stressed that there was no "new" active fault line in Metro Manila.
Solidum
told GMA News that his agency was aware of Rodolfo's findings, but
there was no evidence nor indication of another active fault line in the
area.
“We have seen the same… Such kind of
interpretation must be carefully evaluated if you want to say its is a
fault or not… There are so many possible interpretations [when you see
the map]. We have to be very careful,” the Phivolcs director said.
He
further explained: “We have not found any statistical significance yet
that there is indeed a significance uplifting of one part to another.”
"Ang
West Valley fault o Marikina Fault Line ang nag-iisang aktibong fault
line sa Metro Manila na may scientific basis," he said.
Still,
he noted that the possibilities raised by Rodolfo are healthy within
the scientific circle. “No one should stop looking at these things
because this is important for disaster preparedness.” - GMA News.
March 01, 2013 - INDONESIA - Thousands of ducks owned by the farmers in Situbondo, East Java, was found dead suddenly. Animal suspected bird flu.
Hundreds of ducks laying Syaiful villagers belonging demung, Situbondo, died suddenly since Friday (22/2) morning.
According to him, since the past week thousands of cattle duck blind with blue eyes. In addition heads flushed and the duck into semponyongan.
At least a day, said Syaiful, ducks die suddenly each day to 100 tail to 300 tail. "Average ducks suddenly died suddenly three months old," he said.
Meanwhile, a duck farmer in District Suboh, District Mlandingan and Banyuputih also experienced the same thing.
According to the Head of Department of Animal Husbandry Situbondo, Gaguk Mujianto, confirmed the existence of thousands of ducks owned by ranchers who died suddenly.
Even admitted it was down to the field to see the condition of the dead ducks.
Gaguk claimed negative laboratory results of bird flu. However, clinically it believes the symptoms of bird flu. Hence it was still awaiting the results of laboratory diagnosis to Surabaya.
To prevent further spread of the deadly virus transmission, the farmers directly bury a dead duck in the yard near the cage. - Metro TV News.
February 17, 2013 - INDONESIA - One of Indonesia’s most dangerous volcanoes is posing a new threat, this time due to the tons of volcanic debris left over from a series of deadly eruptions in 2010.
Heavy rains in recent days have mixed with tons of volcanic debris that spewed from central Java’s Mount Merapi several years ago, creating huge mudflows along a number of the mountain’s rivers.
On Tuesday, one flow hit a group of sand miners on the banks of the Gendol River, killing one person, injuring another and sweeping away several trucks.
Merapi, about 25 kilometers north of the university town of Yogyakarta, is Indonesia’s most seismically active volcano.
Its eruption in 2010 released poisonous gases and blanketed the region, populated by millions of people, in a layer of fine ash. More than 300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.
“The danger on Merapi right now is only related to rain [mixing with] all the material that erupted in 2010,” Agus Hendratno, a geologist and lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, told The Wall Street Journal on Friday.
“An early warning system was developed for the threat of mudflows, but sand miners often pay little heed to the warning.”
Hundreds of laborers work along the mountain’s rivers each day to gather sand for cement production. Many excavate by hand.
Merapi is one of more than 100 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits along a series of major fault lines dubbed “the ring of fire.”
The United Nations cites Merapi as one of 16 volcanoes worldwide that pose especially serious threats because of their activity and vicinity to major population centers.
The governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, warned people to stay away from Merapi’s rivers after the death this week.
“There’s no more forest on the upper parts of the mountain,” he told local media. “Mudflows and boulders can roll down like they’re on a highway.” - WSJ.
Volcanic Mudflow Kills One On Mount Merapi.
A volcanic mudflow along the Gendol River that originated on Mount
Merapi swept away trucks and their cargoes of sand, killing one truck
driver and injuring a worker late Tuesday afternoon in Manggong village,
Sleman, Yogyakarta.
“The trucks were queuing to leave the river
when the mudflow came,” Heru Saptono, the head of the Sleman Disaster
Mitigation Agency’s disaster mitigation and prevention division, said on
Wednesday.
The previous day’s continuous heavy downpours over Mt.
Merapi, according to Heru, had triggered the mudflow as layers of
volcanic ash from the volcano’s 2010 eruption still covered rivers
originating on the slopes of one of the world’s most active volcanoes. - Jakarta Globe.
