Mount Marapi

This article is about the mountain in West Sumatra. Not to be confused with Mount Merapi.
Marapi
Marapi in 2017
Highest point
Elevation2,884 m (9,462 ft)[1]
Prominence2,116 m (6,942 ft)
ListingUltra
Ribu
Coordinates00°22′48″S 100°28′27″E / 0.38000°S 100.47417°E / -0.38000; 100.47417[1]
Geography
Marapi is located in Indonesia
Marapi
Marapi
West Sumatra, Indonesia
Parent rangeBarisan Mountains
Geology
Mountain typeComplex volcano
Last eruption27 October 2024
Mount Marapi and Bukittinggi

The Marapi (Jawi: ماراڤي), or Mount Marapi (Indonesian: Gunung Marapi, Minangkabau: Gunuang Marapi, Jawi: ڬونوواڠ ماراڤي), is a complex volcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and is the most active volcano in Sumatra. Like that of its quasi-homonym on Java, its name means "Mountain of Fire". Its elevation is 2,885 metres (9,465.2 ft). Several cities and towns are situated around the mountain including Bukittinggi, Padang Panjang, and Batusangkar. The volcano is also popular among hikers.[2]

Mythology

According to legend, the mountain is the site first settled by the Minangkabau people after their ship landed on the mountain when it was the size of an egg and surrounded by water.[3] There are large numbers of upright burial stones in the region which are oriented in the direction of the mountain, indicating its cultural significance.[4][5]

Eruptions

The volcano has a known history of eruptions. Marapi underwent a significant eruption in September 1830. In January 1975 an eruption occurred with mudflows and lahars that caused fatalities in the surrounding area. A significant eruption occurred in 1979,[6] which killed 60 people.[7] At least one person was killed during an eruption in 1996.[8] In April–May 2018 ashfalls to the southeast occurred.[9]

Since 2011, the volcano has been at the second level of a four-tier alert system set up by the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia.[10] Predicting the volcano's behavior is described as difficult as the source of its sudden 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. Nevertheless, there are about 1,400 people living on its slopes in the villages of Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, about 5 to 6 kilometers from the summit.[11]

2023 eruption

Main article: 2023 eruption of Mount Marapi

On 3 December 2023, the volcano erupted, leaving 23 climbers dead.[12] Three people were injured and rescued.[13] 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.[14][15]

On 22 December, the volcano erupted again, emitting volcanic ash that forced the cancellation of flights at Minangkabau International Airport.[16]

As of January 2024, at least 113 eruptions have occurred on Marapi since its initial activity in December,[17] with the latest eruption occurring on 23 January.[18] Ash has risen at least 1300 meters into the air and residents within a radius of 4.5 kilometers have been urged to evacuate their homes.[19]

At 12:13 a.m. local time on 27 March, Marapi erupted again, emitting a volcanic ash column with a height of 1.5 kilometers.[20] Flights at Minangkabau International Airport were cancelled again due to the eruption.[21]

Lahar flows

On 11 May 2024, heavy rain triggered mudslides and lahar flows from the volcano, killing at least 67 people and leaving 20 others missing.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Marapi". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  2. ^ "Mount Marapi: Indonesia volcano death toll rises to 22". 2023-12-05. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  3. ^ Summerfield, Anne; Summerfield, John (1999). Walk in Splendor: Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau. UCLA. ISBN 0-930741-73-0.
  4. ^ 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. S2CID 214651183.
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Marapi eruption: Hikers recount escape from 'Mountain of Fire'". BBC News. BBC. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  9. ^ Global Volcanism Program, 2018. Report on Marapi (Indonesia) (Venzke, E., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 43:6. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN201806-261140 Archived 2023-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "Indonesia's Marapi volcano erupts, spewing ash". Reuters. 3 December 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Climbers killed survivors found Marapi Indonesia volcano erupt". ABC Australia. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  16. ^ Nurjana, Rahma (22 December 2023). "Ash from Indonesia's Marapi volcano forces airport to close and stops flights". Associated Press. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Mount Marapi erupts again, releasing roaring sounds". Antara. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Gunung Marapi Kembali Mengalami Peningkatan Erupsi". JPNN Sumbar. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Indonesia's Mount Marapi erupts again, leading to evacuations but no reported casualties". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  20. ^ "Mount Marapi Erupts at Midnight, Spewing Ash 1.5km High". Tempo. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Minangkabau Airport Suspends Operations as Mount Marapi Erupts". Tempo. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people while 20 are missing". Associated Press. Retrieved 16 May 2024.