William Bruce – 10X1 Geography

Merapi volcano, Indonesia

The Merapi volcano lies on a Destructive Plate margin. The island has formed where the oceanic crust on the north-eastern edge of the Indian Plate has been forced downwards by the Continental crust of the Eurasian Plate.

The Oceanic crust melts due to two reasons, partly because of the heat caused by friction between the plates

and due to the increase in temperature as it re-enters the mantle. The Merapi volcanoes eruptions take place when the Magma rises to the Earths surface.

This volcano is considered sacred, despite having killed people on ten occasions since 1920 and caused villages near to the volcano to be evacuated more frequently.

The Effects of the Eruption of The Merapi Volcano in 1994The Merapi volcano erupted in November of 1994, the eruption was violent and sudden, no person could escape. The worst hit area was a village 6km away called Turgo, the village was covered in a thick and hot ash cloud, this ash made it hard too dark to see where the villagers were going. The ash caused houses to collapse and burn immediately due to the immense heat, this heat also hard effects on the exposed flesh of the villagers working in the fields. Because this area is a LEDC or poor area, the few surviving villagers tried to get together their few remaining possessions as the ash cloud dispersed and then fled to nearby shelters which are there for when an event like this occurs.

This volcano erupts frequently and eruptions can be predicted accurately unlike other volcanoes such as Mount St Helens, USA, because of these predictions precautions are made. Some precautions include mudflow dams which have been built down each valley coming from Merapi which traps the mud. Also Evacuation camps and temporary accommodation is there for the survivors of an eruption. This shows despite being a much poorer country the necessary precautions are made, unfortunately because of being such a poor country disaster response teams do not come to help as quickly as in these richer countries.

William Bruce – 10X1 Geography

If your home was damaged by an eruption of Merapi then you would be given two options, these are to move to a location where settlements are concrete and have electricity but no land to farm or to they can transmigrate to a less crowded area such as Sumatra, a nearby island. The villagers are always given these two options, however many chose to not move and go back to their village despite the very apparent risks of the Merapi volcano.

Primary Effects:These are the effects that happen during the eruption, these are ash, rock and gases.

Secondary Effects: These are the effects that happen after the eruption has occurred, these are houses ruined, people left homeless and especially around Merapi, Mud flows or Lahars. Mud flows are caused when heavy rain is picked up by ash and volcanic material, this type of flow can cover parts of villages and farmland.

People live around Merapi because of the good soil surrounding the Volcano. Materials that come out of an eruption immediately weather into very fertile soil that is very rich in minerals and is necessary for healthy plant growth. The

farmers take this risk in order to create the best produce.