Mount Marapi
The Marapi, or Mount Marapi is a volcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and is the most active volcano in Sumatra. Just like Mount Merapi on Java, its name means "Mountain of Fire". Its elevation is 2,885 metres (9,465.2 ft). Many cities and towns are located around the mountain such as Bukittinggi, Padang Panjang, and Batusangkar. The volcano is also popular among hikers.[1]
Mythology[change | change source]
According to legend, the mountain is where the Minangkabau people first settled after their ship landed on the mountain when it was the size of an egg and surrounded by water.[2] There are large numbers of burial stones in the region which are facing in the direction of the mountain, showing that it is important to their culture.[3][4]
Eruptions[change | change source]
The volcano has a known history of eruptions. Marapi had a large eruption in September 1830. In January 1975 an eruption occurred with mudflows and lahars that caused fatalities in the surrounding area. A large eruption happened in 1979,[5] which killed 60 people.[6] At least one person was killed during an eruption in 1996.[7] In April–May 2018 ashfalls to the southeast occurred.
Since 2011, the volcano has been at the second level of a four-tier alert system made by the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia.[8] Predicting the volcano's behavior is hard because the source of its eruptions are shallow and near its peak, while its eruptions are not caused by a deep movement of magma that can be detected as volcanic earthquakes on seismic monitors. Even though there are common eruptions, there are about 1,400 people living on the mountain's slopes in the villages of Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, which are about 5 to 6 kilometers from the summit.[9]
2023 eruption[change | change source]
On 3 December 2023, the volcano erupted, leaving 23 climbers dead.[10] Three people were injured and rescued.[11] The ash reached to a height of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and fell in nearby regions. A three-kilometre (1.9-mile) exclusion zone was announced.[12][13]
On 22 December, the volcano erupted again, shooting out volcanic ash that cancelled the flights at Minangkabau International Airport.[14]
As of January 2024, at least 113 eruptions have happened on Marapi since its original activity in December,[15] with the latest eruption occurring on 23 January.[16] Ash has risen at least 1300 meters into the air and residents within 4.5 kilometers of the mountain have been recommended to leave their homes.[17]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Mount Marapi: Indonesia volcano death toll rises to 22". 2023-12-05. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- ↑ Summerfield, Anne; Summerfield, John (1999). Walk in Splendor: Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau. UCLA. ISBN 0-930741-73-0.
- ↑ Miksic, John (2004). "From megaliths to tombstones: the transition from pre-history to early Islamic period in highland West Sumatra". Indonesia and the Malay World. 32 (93): 191–210. doi:10.1080/1363981042000320134.
- ↑ Marapi, Mangaraja Gunung Sorik; Mangaraja Gunung Sorik Marapi; Proyek Penerbitan Buku Sastra Indonesia dan Daerah (1979), Turi-turian ni Raja Gorga di Langit dohot Raja Suasa di Portibi, Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, Proyek Penerbitan Buku Bacaan dan Sastra Indonesia dan Daerah, retrieved 4 December 2023
- ↑ Pusat Meteorologi dan Geofisika (1979), Laporan bencana alam Gunung Marapi, Sumatera Barat, tanggal 30 April 1979, [s.n.], archived from the original on 6 December 2023, retrieved 4 December 2023
- ↑ "Death toll rises to 13 after Mount Marapi eruption, climbers still missing". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ↑ "Marapi eruption: Hikers recount escape from 'Mountain of Fire'". BBC News. BBC. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ "Indonesian rescuers race to find 12 missing after eruption". France 24. 5 December 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ↑ "More bodies found after sudden eruption of Indonesia's Mount Marapi, raising confirmed toll to 22". Associated Press. 5 December 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ↑ Wirawan, Jerome; Wright, George (6 December 2023). "Mount Marapi: Indonesia rescuers find last missing hiker on volcano". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ↑ "Mount Marapi eruption: 11 hikers found dead on Indonesian volcano". The Guardian. 4 December 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ↑ "Indonesia's Marapi volcano erupts, spewing ash". Reuters. 3 December 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ↑ "Climbers killed survivors found Marapi Indonesia volcano erupt". ABC Australia. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ↑ Nurjana, Rahma (22 December 2023). "Ash from Indonesia's Marapi volcano forces airport to close and stops flights". Associated Press. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ↑ "Mount Marapi erupts again, releasing roaring sounds". Antara. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ↑ "Gunung Marapi Kembali Mengalami Peningkatan Erupsi". JPNN Sumbar. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ↑ "Indonesia's Mount Marapi erupts again, leading to evacuations but no reported casualties". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-01-14.