Breaking News: Red Alert Merapi Still On: Borobudur Closed to Climb

Since the pyroclastic heat clouds rolled down Mt. Merapi on 26 October evening killing 30 persons and destroying many villages in its wake within 10 km. radius from the crater, Mt. Merapi has remained relatively quiet yesterday. But the government warns that this should not be taken as if all is safe now, since the worst may not be over yet. Therefore, authorities strongly deter evacuees from returning to their homes until further notice.

Scientists studying the behaviour of Mt. Merapi agree that Merapi’s present behaviour diverges from earlier eruptions, since even before its explosion Tuesday, the mountain already accumulated 3 times more energy compared to previous eruptions. However, Tuesday’s pyroclastic flows contained only ash, and have not yet spewed out large rocks.
Meanwhile, Head of the Borobudur National Park announced that Tuesday’s pyroclastic clouds had thrown volcanic ash over the precious 8th century Buddhist monument, near Magelang, Central Java, covering the entrance, stupas and parts of the temple with five to six centimeters thick white ash. The Borobudur monument will be swept and cleansed and , therefore, will be temporarily closed to climb. Closure is expected to last one week. Visitors are free to admire the temple from the park, but may not climb the monument.

The volcanic ash which is suspected to contain sulfuric material because of its pungent smell, will quickly erode the ancient granites of the temple. The Agency will, therefore, collect samples of the ash for detailed analysis, to further decide on the next steps how best to clean the monument for further conservation.

The government also announced that Yogyakarta city and airport, south of Mt. Merapi continues to be safe and has remained open to airline traffic. Airlines, are, nonetheless warned to heed Merapi's clouds of volcanic ash in the air.

Starting today, Java Tourism Care and Sahabat Merapi have jointly opened a Command Post (Posko) at Jalan Lingkar Utara 234 Yogyakarta.

They can be contacted at +62 2745 20907, fax: +62 2745 83783, mobile +62 8190404471

Source

The Borobudur Legend in A Spectacular SHOW, Central Java, 30 OCTOBER 2010

 

Date: 30 Oct 2010 Start At: 19:00 Until: 21:00

The history of the construction of the mighty Borobudur temple - UNESCO World Heritage site - called the ”Mahakarya Borobudur” will be presented in dance, light and sound on the open stage of the Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday, 30 October 2010 from 7.0 to 9.0 p.m.

This spectacular show will take you on a sensory odyssey through a magnificent performance of light and sound featuring 250 Javanese classical dancers. This is your big chance to see what Borobudur has to offer. A masterpiece of Borobudur Ballet Colossal will also set to showcase in this remarkable event that will be holding at Aksobya Stage, Borobudur. The audience will be taken back in time when this ancient wonder of the world was the center of the powerful Mataram kingdom. 

For Tickets and bookings : Tel.: +62 21 57930331 or Fax: +62 21 57930330.

For Borobudur Ballet Colossal Ticket, please contact: Sarbilan +62274 496408. 

Website: www.borobudurpark.co.id

Merapi volcano, Yogyakarta

Merapi volcano is one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes. It contains an active lava dome which regularly produces pyroclastic flows. Eruptions occur at intervals of 1-5 years and are of low gas pressure. Since magma is poor in gas, eruptions are usually less than VEI 3 in size.

Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia and has produced more pyroclastic flows than any other volcano in the world. It has been active for 10,000 years.

Most eruptions of Merapi involve a collapse of the lava dome creating pyroclastic flows which travel 6 to 7 km from the summit. Some awan panas have traveled as far as 13 km from the summit, such as the deposit generated during the 1969 eruption. Velocity of pyroclastic flows can reach up to 110 km/hour. A slow up flow of andesitic magma leads to an extrusion of viscous magma, which accumulate and construct a dome in the crater.

Violent Eruptions at Merapi volcano
There is evidence that the current low level of activity may be interrupted by larger explosive eruptions. Eruptions of Merapi volcano during the 7–19th centuries A.D. were more violent than the past hundred years, and produced explosion pyroclastic flows. Widespread pyroclastic flows and surges traveled up to 25 km down the flanks of Merapi.

Scientists predict that the quiet of the 20th century will be broken by a larger
explosive eruption within coming decades. (Scientific report published in 2000).

2010 Eruption
Merapi volcano was raised to level 3 alert (out of a maximum 4) due to inflation and volcanic earthquakes on 21st October 2010. Sand miners were asked to stop all activity, and people advised not to climb the volcano.
Merapi volcano erupted on 26th October 2010 killing 13 people.

2006 Eruptions
Seismic activity began increasing at Merapi volcano in March 2006, and 10,000 residents were prepared for evacuation. On 10th April people were banned from climbing the volcano. On 12th April the Alert Level was raided from 2 to 3. An 8 km exclusion zone was placed around the volcano. On 27th April nearly 2,000 villagers were evacuated from Sidorejo and Tegalmulyo villages around Merapi volcano. On 13th May, the Alert Level was raised to the highest level 4, and about 4,500 people living near the volcano were evacuated. On 15th May pyroclastic flows traveled up to 4 km west. By 16th May, more than 22,000 people had been evacuated. On 8th June, the lava-dome growth rate at Merapi was an estimated 100,000 cubic meters per day, with an estimated volume of 4 million cubic meters. Pyroclastic flows and rockfalls decreased in frequency and intensity after 28th June 2006.

2001 Eruption
A major eruption began at Merapi volcano on 10th February 2001. A 30-minute-long pyroclastic flow occurred at 0200 hr. At 0330 hr there was a collapse of the 1998 lava dome which ejected ash 5 km above the summit and produced a pyroclastic flows that extended 7 km in the direction of the Sat River.

1998 Eruptions
Activity at Merapi volcano began increasing in July 1998. On 11th July 37 nuées ardentes occurred between midnight and 0500 hr. Between 11-19 July, 128 nuées ardentes occurred, including a strong pyroclastic ash and block flow at 1500 on 19th July.

1994 Eruptions
On 22nd November 1994, a large number of dome-collapse nuees ardentes were generated over a period of several hours at Merapi volcano. The nuees ardentes descended mainly the Boyong valley and the Bedog valley, a tributary of the Krasak-Kecil valley. This was in contrast to the 1984 and 1992 flows which traveled exclusively towards the southwest and west.

1986-87 Eruptions
Lava dome formation at Merapi volcano in 1986-87 was the largest since 1973.

1968 Eruptions
At the end of May 1968 a lava tongue had extended 875 m and was the result of new lava done extrusion after the 1967 collapse. The number of avalanches from the lava tongue were 1432 in June, 1370 July, 329 August, and 12 in September. Renewed activity began at Merapi volcano in October 1968 with an increasing number of lava avalanches.

1967 Eruptions
A lava dome extruded in April 1967 at the upper Batang River on the SW slope of Merapi volcano. The dome collapsed in October 1967.

1822 Lahar
A hot lahar at Merapi volcano on 28th December 1822 destroyed 4 villages with 100 casualties.

Merapi Volcano Eruptions

2010, 2007, 2006, 2001-02, 1992-98, 1972-90, 1971, 1967-69, 1961, 1953-58, 1948-49, 1944-45, 1942-43, 1939-40, 1933-35, 1930-31, 1924, 1923, 1922, 1920-21, 1918, 1915, 1909-13, 1908, 1906-07, 1905, 1902-04, 1902, 1897, 1894, 1893, 1891, 1889, 1888, ?1885, 1883-84, 1878-79, 1872-73, 1872, 1869, 1865-67, 1862-64, ?1854, 1849, ?1848, 1846-47, 1846, 1840, 1837-38, 1832-35, 1828, 1822-23, 1820-22, 1812-13, 1810, 1807, 1797, 1786, 1755, 1752, 1745, 1678, 1677, 1672, 1663, 1658, 1587, 1584, 1560, 1554, 1548, 7630 BC.

Source

Morotai, Undescovered Relics of World War II

Morotai Island (Indonesian: Pulau Morotai) is an island located in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is governed as a regency of North Maluku province, called Morotai Island Regency Kabupaten Pulau Morotai , and is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands.

  

History

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Morotai was generally within the sphere of influence of the powerful sultanate on the island of Ternate. It was the core of a larger region, called Moro, that included the island and the coastline of Halmahera closest to Morotai to the south.

In the mid-sixteenth century, the island was also the site of a Portuguese Jesuit mission. The Muslim states on Ternate and Halmahera resented the outpost for its proselytising activities, and managed to drive the mission from the island in 1571, as a part of a larger Portuguese retreat in the region. In the seventeenth century, Ternate further exerted its power over Morotai by repeatedly forcing major parts of the population to move off the island. Early in the century most of the population was moved to Dodinga, a small town in a strategic spot on Halmahera's west coast. Later, in 1627 and 1628, Sultan Hamzah of Ternate had much of the Christian population of the island moved to Malayu, on Ternate, where they could be more easily controlled. 

Geography

Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It has an area of some 1,800 km2, stetching 80 km north-south and no more than 42 km wide. The island's largest town is Daruba, on the islands south coast. Almost all of Morotai's numerous villages are coastal settlements; a paved road linking those on the east coast starts from Daruba and will eventually reach Berebere, the principal town on Morotai's east coast, 68 km from Daruba.

World War II 

The island was captured by the Japanese in early 1942. Morotai's southern plain was taken by AmericanBattle of Morotai, and used as a staging point for the Allied invasion of the Philippines in early 1945, and of Borneo in May and June of that year. Japanese soldier Teruo Nakamura held out subsequent to the Japanese military's surrender. forces in September 1944 during the was discovered in the Morotai jungle in 1974, as one of the WWII Japanese soldiers who held out subsequent to the Japanese military's surrender.