Mount Merapi Flashcards
Is Mount Merapi a composite or shield volcano?
Active composite volcano
Where is Mount Merapi located? When did it start erupting?
SE Asia, Indonesia
1548
How many people live on the slopes of Mount Merapi?- why is this? why may this cause issues during evacuation?
11,000 people- often subsistence farmers who rely on rich, fertile soils d2 volcanic ash
-> problem during evacuation if they don’t want to leave land
When did MM erupt in 2010? When were the first signs?
25th October
March 2010 (first signs)- tiltmeters showed volcano dome stared to bulge
What were the issues with the 2009 contingency plan?
not adequate enough to overcome wide scale crisis, govs were overwhelmed and unplanned-> slow response
BUT- those living in 10km proximity were highly educated with evacuation drills (issue- 80% of victims lived in villages oustide of 10km radius)
What caused the eruption of MM?
Indo-Australian plate subducts beneath Eurasian
destructive plate
pacific ring of fire
How many people were killed and injured by the eruption?
353 killed
577 injured
What were the impacts of pyroclastic flows d2 eruption of MM?
PF travelled 3km down mountain sides (11,000)
a pyro travelling at 100km/h engulfed a village and killed many children 18km from crater + destroyed all monitoring tools
How widescale were the impacts of volcanic ash and sulphur dioxide d2 MM?
volcanic ash fell up to 30km away, travelled 6km into the sky
Villages e.g. Bronggang (15km from v) were buried under 30cm of ash
Sulphur d was blown across Indonesia, Indian Ocean and as far as Australia-> contributes to aerosol formation + cools environment
How did the gatekeepers death during the first day of MM eruption affect people’s perception differently?
some started listening to scientists and authorities, some had fatalist attitude…
what were the secondary impacts of Ash clouds?
disruption to aviation across the region
what secondary impacts prevented people from fleeing MM hazard zone?
roads were blocked with cars and motorcycles
How many people had to flee their homes living in the area of MM?
350,000
what were the secondary impacts of heavy rain on the 4th of November? (MM)
lahars washed ash and rock into towns, destroying bridges
what were the long term impacts of ash clouds d2 MM?
eventually provided fertile soils in the area-> incr subsistence farmers living their again THUS are they learning from event?
What is 1 positive long term impact d2 MM eruption?
new data-> hazard mapping was updated, used to set up exclusion zones around area
What is 1 negative long term impact d2 MM eruption?
serious risk and disease, poor sanitation d2 overcrowded evacuation centres
How many people were made homeless d2 MM?
350,000
How many evacuation centres were set up as a st response to MM?
210- set up in schools, churches, stadiums etc
Why is MM easier to respond to/predict an eruption than other volcanoes?
It is a decade volcano as it erupts so frequently-> lots of research is done on it by scientists
What was one negative of the 20km exclusion zone set up?
police could’nt stop people from going back in (135 died this way) d2 livestock, land, homes etc (11,000 on slopes)
What did the Indonesian Disaster management agency do as a short term response to MM?
rescued survivors, makeshift hospitals and kitchens in evacuation centres
What did the Red Cross and Red crescent do as a short term response to MM?
provided international aid, food for 1000 displaced people in Dompol camp
What was the issue with medical supplies for refugees- MM? (short term response)
supplies were insufficient to keep up with the number of burn victims
How many people moved to newer, safer houses after MM?
2682 people
What did governments do as a long term response to MM?
- money available to farmers to help replace livestock
- special task force to support people affected- unemployed etc
- dams have been built in valleys to hold back lahars
