2010-11-05 17:32

JAKARTA -- Mount Merapi in Indonesia's Central Java has been erupting since October 26, almost without interruption. The eruptions are growing more frequent and producing an increasing amount of ash.

Areas in danger have been expanded to 15 km from 10 km in terms of radius, and experts are worried that there might be a larger eruption in three or four weeks.

Indonesia has the largest number of volcanoes in the world. Among all 450 volcanoes, 129 are active. The 2,968-meter-high Mount Merapi, which is 500 km southeast of Jakarta, is one of the most active. It has erupted over 70 times since 1548.

The soil in the Merapi area is very fertile. Thousands of people live on the sides of the volcano, with villages as high as 1,700 meters above sea level.

Since this eruption of Mount Merapi has lasted for a long time, local volcanologists are calling it a "marathon-like" eruption.

This series of eruptions has caused a large amount of ashes, or pozzuolana, which have been spurted out while the molten lava was still piled in the cater. Instead of the usual upward eruption, the ashes have poured down along the hillside, and the broiling ashes have led to the deaths of nearby residents and livestock.

It is reported that by November 4, 40 people have been killed, dozens have been injured and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. The high temperature and strong sulphur smell caused by the eruption are also affecting people's health. Many are displaying symptoms of a body ache, high blood pressure and tracheitis.

Earthquakes are also growing more frequent during the constant eruption of Mount Merapi. A two-meter tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the islands off the western coast of Sumatra on October 25, killing 450 and leaving nearly a hundred people missing.

During the recent two months, 21 volcanoes have been acting up. Mount Anak Krakatau in Sunda Strait of Indonesia has erupted with over 200 explosions a day, unleashing hot ash up to 1,700 meters high and poisonous gas. Gamalama volcano in Indonesia's northern province Maluku erupted seven times within one day. Experts say that Mount Merapi might have influenced volcanoes nearby.

Over 20 volcanoes having become more active may be a sign of a major plates recombination, which means that the plates are not only moving against each other but also shifting.

The previous eruption of Mount Merapi in 2006 killed two people. A 1994 eruption claimed 60 people's lives, and a major eruption in 1930 killed more than 1,000 people.