BMKG Explains Merapi Eruption - Sleman Earthquake Connection
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18 November 2019 08:15 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Prior to the 1000-meter-high eruption of Mount Merapi on Sunday, November 17, the region in the vicinity of the mountain saw Sleman rocked by a magnitude 2.7 earthquake the day before on Saturday.
Head of earthquake mitigation and tsunami from the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Daryono, stated that the earthquake’s epicenter is located closely to Merapi’s peak.
‘The epicenter of the earthquake is close to Merapi’s peak,” said Daryono on Sunday, November 17.
He says that this incident is similar to Merapi’s eruption on October 14, 2019, that was also preceded by a series of tectonic earthquakes in the mountain’s vicinity.
According to the BMKG, volcanic activities are sensitive to tectonic earthquakes as it would spark what is called a tecto-volcanic activity.
Past eruptions of Merapi in 2001 and 2006 were also preceded by tectonic earthquakes.
“In these conditions, a volcanic mountain’s eruption is easily sparked by a tectonic earthquake,” said Daryono. However, he maintains that an empirical study on such natural occurring must be held to prove the relations between the quake and eruption.
ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)
