Merapi volcano eruptions

Typical eruption style: Highly explosive. Large Plinian eruption every few 1000 of years (the last
ones at about 1000 BP and 2000 BP), sometimes with associated flank collapse. Growth of lava
domes, pyroclastic flows.

Stratovolcano 2968 m / 9,737 ft

Central Java, Indonesia, -7.54S / 110.44E
Eruption list: 1548, 1554, 1560, 1584, 1586(?), 1587, 1658, 1663, 1672, 1678, 1745, 1752, 1755,
1768, 1791, 1797, 1807, 1810, 1812-22, 1822-23, 1828, 1832-36, 1837-38, 1840, 1846, 1848(?),
1849, 1854(?), 1861, 1862-64, 1865-71, 1872 (large vulcanian-subplinian eruption VEI:4) , 1872-73,
1878-79, 1883-84, 1885-87, 1888, 1889, 1891-92, 1893, 1894, 1897, 1902, 1902-04, 1905, 1906-07,
1908, 1909-13, 1915, 1918, 1920-21, 1922, 1923(?), 1924, 1930-31, 1932, 1933-35, 1939-40, 194245, 1948, 1953-58, 1961, 1967-1970, 1971(?), 1972-85, 1986-90, 1992-2002, April-July 2006, Oct
2010-2011 Feb

April-June 2006 eruption: new lava dome & pyroclastic flows, 2 fatalities

After a period of 5 years of relative calm, a new eruption started in April 2006. A
new lava dome was built on top of the lava dome of 1998-2001, powerful pyroclastic flows
descended the SW, S and SE flanks in late May and June. Tens of thousands of people were
evacuated during the peak of the eruption in late May-mid June. A particularly powerful pyroclastic
flow killed two workers trapped inside a shelter that was overrun by a flow on 14 June.
[more]

27 May 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake

On 27 May 2006 a magnitude 6.3 tectonic earthquake near Yogyakarta caused

5750 fatalities, around 40,000 injuries and destroyed large sections of Yogyakarta and sourrounding
towns, leaving more than 600,000 people homeless.
The earthquake was caused by the collission of the Australian and Sunda tectonic plates, forming a
subduction zone west of the coast of Java.

Jan-Feb 2001 activity: major dome collapse on 10 February

Activity increased in January 2001, lava effusion rates were at high levels and feeding frequent
pyroclastic flows. On 31 January pyroclastic flows occurred continuously, reaching up to 3.5 km from
the summit, flowing mainly to the SSW, but started also to descend on the SW and W flanks of the
mountain into the Senowo and Bebeng Rivers.
On 10 February 2001, a large section of the 1998 lava dome collapsed and triggered a serious of
pyroclastic flows that reached 7 km distance from the crater, travelling SSW into the Sat River.
Significant ash fall from the eruption occured up to 60 km E of the volcano.
After this event, activity decreased sharply, but continued at lower levels through much of 2001.

Dec 2000- Jan 2001 eruption: pyroclastic flows

Eruptive activity increased steeply during the period of 26 December 2000-22 January 2001. On 14
January, 29 pyroclastic flows traveled down the volcano's SSW and SW flanks and reached up to 4
km from their source. During the week, lava avalanches and pyroclastic flows occurred with an
average interval of 0.5-1 hours.

1998-2000 activity: glowing rockfalls

Seismic activity and rockfalls from the lava dome at the summit increased again in June 1998 and
peaked between 11-19 July when 128 rock avalanches and pyroclastic flows were recorded
descending the Lamat, Krasak/Bebeng and Boyong rivers on the SW and SSW flanks of the volcano.
Activity decreased, but the volcano remained active through 1999 and 2000, when intense
degassing, minor explosions, intermittend glow at the summit and occasional rockfalls were
recorded.

1996 eruptions - contining lava dome growth and pyroclastic flows

The activity that had started in 1994 continued through 1995 and increased again starting from
August 1996, when explosions and pyroclastic flows became more frequent and large. On 9 August,
a pyroclastic flow traveled 3.5 km from the summit down the SSW flank and reached the upper parts
of the Krasak and Boyong rivers. No casualties were reported. An explosion on 13 September
created an ash cloud of ca. 4 km height above the summit.
Activity peaked on 31 October when 17 pyroclastic flows were recorded. They reached a maximum
of 3 km distance and touched the upper valleys of Bebeng, Krasak, Boyong, and Kuning rivers on the
SSW and SW flanks.
Pyroclastic flows decreased on 1st November and the eruption ended on 2nd November.

1994 eruption - 41 fatalities

A major collapse of the growing lava dome on November 22 1994 produced a large pyroclastic flow
that ran 7.5 km on the S flank, overrunning Kaliurang village and killed at least 41 people. 6000
people were evacuated.
[more]

1992-1993 eruption: new lava dome growth

A new lava dome grew in late January and early February 1992 and generated pyroclastic flows
travelling up to 4 km to the SW flank.
[more]

1968 eruptions
By the end of May 1968 a viscous lava flow had been extruded from the collapse scar of the Oct
1967 dome collapse and reached 875 m SW on the upper slope. Rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows
from the lava flow were frequent in June through August (up to ca. 1500 per month) and died out in
September. New activity began in October.

April-October 1967 eruption

A new lava dome was built in April 1967. Dome collapses in October 1967 generated pyroclastic
flows into the Batang river valley on the SW side of the cone.