In November 2010, Merapi Volcano that located in Yogyakarta, woke up from a long sleep. 5 yearly eruption cycle that normally occurs to Merapi was then suddenly making every volcanology experts, especially those who focus on Merapi, to be wide-eyed. The energy accumulated in the magma chamber of the volcano since October 2010 has increased and exceeds the energy in the previous eruption (eruption in 2006). This makes fear to all people, includes the officers who were given the responsibility to oversee the activities of Merapi. Some even resigned because they knew the energy that will be released very big.
The experts can not predict what kind of eruption will be produced. But seeing from the energy accumulation in the volcano, the experts predict the eruption will be in effusive also explosive type. Effusive type is normal to Merapi which produce melt lava. Lava ini menuruni lereng dan bila terjadi dalam jumlah besar maka bisa mengakibatkan munculnya aliran piroklastik/awan panas. This lava go down the slope and in large amounts, it can lead to pyroclastic flow. When lava continuosuly rising from the magma chamber, it will accumulate on the crater and cause the lava dome deformation. When it's time the dome could no longer resist the lava, then this dome will collapse and produce pyroclastic avalanches in great amounts. While the explosive eruption at Merapi are rare happened. The last explosive eruption recorded was in 1969. Explosive eruption occurs when the gas content in the magma chamber is very high, so that it released vertically. The result will form a cloud that soared and able to cause ash rain in areas far though if it blwon by the wind.
After knowing there will be surprises in this eruption, the scientists immediately recommend the authorities to immediately evacuate residents as far as 8 km radius from the peak of Merapi. This action was very precise, because on October 26, 2010 Merapi volcano finally erupted. Dozens of victims were recorded dead, including the caretaker of Mount Merapi, Mbah Maridjan. It also made Kinahrejo and Kaliadem village destroyed by hot clouds. The next day, the expers finally can record that Merapi produced two types at once, that is effusive and explosive. As the result, Merapi eruption became worst from day to day.
Two great eruption was recorded on 29 October and 5 November 2010. Suara gemuruh terdengar hingga radius 20 km, hujan abu pun sampai ke Pangandaran. People can heard the roar produced by the volcano from a radius of 20 km, rain ash reached Pangandaran in West Java. But it was not the end. Merapi continues to produce heat clouds into every river that tipped at Merapi, especially Kali Gendol. The victim continues to fall, although the authorities have set a safe radius of 20 km, a new policy that first made in the history of Merapi eruption.
At the end of the eruption, Merapi has stream a hot clouds which swept Kali Gendol up to a distance of 16 km from the peak (more severe than the eruption of 2006 that only 6 km) and also to other direction such as to Boyolali and Magelang regency. Noted there are 300 people killed and most came from Sleman regency. Mereka yang tewas adalah penduduk bantaran sungai yang diterjang awan panas. Those killed were residents lived in the river bank that hit by hot clouds. Some died in the hospital due to severe burns.
But another danger in form of cold lava were ready to threat. After a great eruption for 1 month, about 130 million cubic feet of material accumulated on the peak of Merapi. This material was finally down and flooded rivers that had the upstream at Merapi. Heavy rain occurring on the top also makes the cold lava flew into the Code River which cross the city of Yogyakarta. The local government preparedness to disasters make the victim was no longer growing.
After the critical period was over, now the only remaining is just the pile of rocks and sand that buried the plains that used to be green. Some cold lava dam reservoir was breached because of the continuous flow from it. Other infrastructure such as roads and bridges also cannot escape from the hot clouds and cold lava. Losses also came upon the refugees who lost their property.
Now, people on the slopes of Merapi started to get up. As can be seen in Kinahrejo village. Before the eruption, Kinahrejo was full of plants, but now barren and show gaping valley. Residents who have received help from the local government started to continue their life by open food and souvenir kiosks. Other residents manage Kinahrejo to be a tourist attraction.
Tourists can see by their own the ferocity of Merapi in Kinahrejo. The houses that have been razed to the ground, bodies of motor vehicles, and uprooted trees became an evidence of the forces of nature. Although the conditon make people think pessimistic, but the opposite is happening to the local residents. They look very optimistic to be able to reoccupy areas that very dangerous, even though the local government has provided temporary shelter for them in a safer area. In addition, there is also a discourse that mention the 6 km area from Merapi is not safe anymore and should be a national park. But it does not make them lose hope to be able to continue living on ancestral lands that now barren. By the support from the local government, also from people that live far away from them who already gave their donation, people on the slopes of Merapi will be more eager to get up again.
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