MOUNT MERAPI (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, eleven climbers were found dead in Indonesia following the eruption of the Marapi volcano in West Sumatra.

Mount Merapi

• About: It is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

oIt is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.

• Located: Approximately 28 km (17 mi) north of Yogyakarta city, Indonesia.
• History: Merapi is the youngest in a group of volcanoes in southern Java. It is situated at a subduction zone.

o It is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the volcano is located in the Southeastern part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Pacific’s Ring of Fire

• Also known as: Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
• Length: Approximately 40,000 kilometers.
• Boundaries between several tectonic plates: Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates.
• Home of Volcanoes: More than 450 active and dormant volcanoes (75% of Earth’s total volcanoes) form a semicircle or horseshoe around the rim of the Pacific Ocean.