Numerical Simulation of Historical Pyroclastic Flows of Merapi (1994, 2001, and 2006 Eruptions)

Abstract

Merapi has become one of the most enticing volcanoes due to its activity over the past century. Although we have to agree that the 2010 VEI = 4 (Volcanic Explosivity Index, [1]) eruption is the greatest in its recorded history, Merapi is more famous for its shorter cycle of smaller scale, making it one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. Many mechanisms are involved in an eruption, and pyroclastic flow is the most dangerous occurrence in terms of volcanic hazard. A pyroclastic flow is defined as a high-speed avalanche consisted of high temperature mixture of rock fragments and gas, resulted from lava dome collapse and/or gravitational column collapse. Researchers have studied Merapi’s history and behavior, and numerical simulations are an important tool for future hazard mitigation. By utilizing numerical simulation on basal part of pyroclastic flow, we investigated the applicability of the simulation on pyroclastic flows from historical eruptions of Merapi (1994, 2001, and 2006). Herein, we present a total of 32 simulations and discuss the areas affected by pyroclastic flows and the factors that affect the simulation results.