Eruption at Mount Merapi, Indonesia from Space

The primary danger during the eruption at Merapi Volcano has been pyroclastic flows. These avalanches of hot volcanic gases, ash, and rocks descend rapidly and violently, occasionally at speeds over 150 kilometers (90 miles) per hour. Pyroclastic flows are usually channeled by the terrain, but large and violent flows can spread over a wide area.



This false-color satellite image from the ASTER instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows evidence of a large pyroclastic flow along the Gendol R [...]

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