Formerly a vulcanological post of the Indonesianvolcanology service, it was abandoned in the 1990s following serious southerly nuee ardente and gas clouds in the vicinity.[1]
Under its western side are large man-made caves and tunnels, said by locals to have been made under the orders of Japanese military administrators during World War II.
It is also located within the Plawangan Turgo nature reserve an almost 200 hectares on the slope of Merapi that has rare animals and plants occurring in its area.[2]