MERAPI, MOUNT

Indonesian Gunung Merapi volcanic mountain peak located near the centre of the island of Java, Indonesia. The volcano is about 20 miles (32 km) north of Yogyakarta and somewhat farther south of Semarang. Merapi (Mountain of Fire) rises to 9,551 feet (2,911 m) and has steep slopes with dense vegetation on its lower flanks. It is the most active of Indonesia's 130 active volcanoes. One of its largest eruptions occurred in 1006 and spread ash all over central Java. Other major eruptions were those of 1786, 1822, 1872, 1930, and 1976. Almost half of Merapi's eruptions have been accompanied by pyroclastic flows, or nues ardentes, which are clouds of superheated gases and incandescent solid particles. In the eruption of Nov. 22, 1994, the release of a pyroclastic flow killed 64 people.