Volcanic Case Study: Mount Merapi (Indonesia)

Question 1

Why is Indonesia vulnerable to volcanic hazards?

Answer 1

Located on the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet.

High population density near volcanoes.

Low-income country with limited resources for disaster response.

Question 2

What caused the 2010 Mount Merapi eruption?

Answer 2

Subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Eurasian Plate at a destructive boundary.

Question 3

What volcanic hazards occurred during the eruption?

Answer 3

Pyroclastic flows (up to 4 km away).

Lava flows.

Ash clouds disrupted flights and caused breathing issues.

Lahars during heavy rainfall