in deustch
Due to the increasing growth of the dome and the strong
activity I decided spontaneously to visit the volcano
Merapi. Contrary to my summer attendance last year the
rare opportunity to observe such glowing clouds called
pyroclastic flows
(PF)
could be expected. Beside that natural phenomena it was a
lucky circumstance that Chris Weber with friends and Marc
Szeglat wanted also reach the localities in Yogyakarta and
Merapi. Thus a common vehicle could be used.
Here
I met coincidentally Tom Pfeiffer
who was staying already some days before in the town.
Together we started to search places with good prospects
for the evening and morning observations. In irregular
time intervals the Merapi did show glowing stone
avalanches accompanied with dust clouds. A few smaller PFs
toward SW to the Krassak valley could be particularly
seen a
few times
the
day. A beautiful alternation offered the ‘30 hour’s young
moon’ with a weak but clear earth light reflection before
the sunrise on
the
26th.
In the morning
of the 27th
it should come different.
Together with Tom we observed the glowing stone avalanches
in the dawn on a moderate PF during the sunrise of a
high-altitude parking lot in the south of the volcano.
5:55
am:
Suddenly the
bottom began to swing horizontal accompanied with a dull /
musty rumbling sound. The vegetation produced an
unbelievable rustling caused by rubbing plants one to
another. Over there at the Merapi (summit distance for
instance 4km) dust clouds raised up everywhere and for one
minute I believed we have to die immediately in case of an
over dimensional landslip. Cries and engine noises in the
background showed an upcoming panic by locals. Also our
native driver preferred the fast escape without us.
So fast the quake
came, it was already gone with the duration of perhaps 20
seconds. Now, the Merapi shows nearly in minute intervals
approximately a half dozen larger PFs, and an
unbelievable ash cloud
did arose
kilometre high into the blue morning sky and towered the
3000m high Merapi over a multiple height. As usual the
video cells
were empty, and so I took only a few snapshots by using my
trembling hand.
Thinking
about searching the nearest shelter instead to run the
cameras, the volcano calmed down during one hour.
Also our driver
returned and we could drive back to the total chaos
overwhelmed city. People in their cars escaped from the
volcano, the other ones escaped from the sea coast fled
toward the mountains because of the Tsunami warnings. This
caused a longer traffic chaos and therefore we tried to
inform us about the radio broadcasts. In this afternoon I
met Chris Weber. He took the detour over Solo because of
the closed and damaged airport. His report of nearly
completely collapsed and enormous destructed city parts
and a lot of dead people let us comprehend that a tectonic
earthquake with the strength of 6 RS took place. In our
mountain region only small damages like falling roof brick
were recognized by us. Also at an outlook point at the
Krassak valley in the SW direction of the Merapi we saw
small seismic damages
The next day
during the travel to Prambanan we saw partly substantial
damages and the local resident people began to sort the
left remainders in an unbelievable relaxed manner, that
the high number of approximately 6000 dead people appears
so unbelievable for us.
On the next morning at the
southern outlook point again, I searched alone a way in
the forest in order to approach to the Merapi more
closely. On this morning the cloud appearance was
stronger, but opened for a short time. From here only 3 km
away from the volcano you feel formally the breath of the
volcano.
Each falling
stone could be heard and ash was laying on each leave,
unfortunately also on my camera stand. Therefore I visited
this place early in the morning the next days again. Most
impressing, the glowing clouds (PF) which were sliding
down like
'hovercrafts'
down to the valleys. Remembering to the reports of Pompeij
and St. Pierre I was allowed to see this fabulous
game of nature from a closer range. In contrary to the
rumbling stone avalanches this type of material movement
was extremely loud less. Only a fast raising ash cloud at
the summit announces their appearance. Whereupon a dark
cloud tongue with small expansion shoots down the slope.
This cloud blows
itself high up for more kilometres. Numerous birds
were flapping
nervously 10-15 minutes
around the areal
until the spook
has gone. In the early dawn you can recognize at the PF's
base a weak glowing. In the morning hours of the 27th
two
PF's could be seen.
Together with Chris, Marc and companions the observations
were continued from a further distance on the next days.
Unfortunately
the evening observations were disturbed regularly by
thunderstorms with strong rain. At the 30th
I decided, to leave the Merapi to explore further volcanos
in the western Java. The ideal opportunity for this tour
offered the small group from Chris, which I could follow
the next days.
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