Post-eruptive lahars at Kali Putih following the 2010 eruption of Merapi volcano, Indonesia: occurrences and impacts

Danang Sri Hadmoko (), Edouard Belizal, Bachtiar Wahyu Mutaqin, Gilang Arya Dipayana, Muh Aris Marfai, Franck Lavigne, Junun Sartohadi, Suratman Worosuprojo, Colette C. A. Starheim and Christopher Gomez ()
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Danang Sri Hadmoko: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Edouard Belizal: University Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne
Bachtiar Wahyu Mutaqin: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Gilang Arya Dipayana: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Muh Aris Marfai: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Franck Lavigne: University Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne
Junun Sartohadi: Universitas Gadjah Mada Indonesia
Suratman Worosuprojo: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Colette C. A. Starheim: University of Canterbury
Christopher Gomez: Laboratory of Volcanic Risks at Sea Kobe University

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2018, vol. 94, issue 1, No 23, 419-444

Abstract: Abstract Following the 2010 VEI 4 eruption of Merapi volcano, more than 250 lahars were triggered during two rainy seasons from October 2010 to March 2012. This high number of post-eruption lahars mainly occurred in the Kali (valley) Putih watershed and was mostly associated with high-magnitude rainstorms. A lahar occurring on January 8, 2011, caused significant damage to homes in several communities, bridges, sabo dams, and agricultural crops. The aims of this contribution are to document the impacts of lahars on the Kali Putih watershed and specifically (1) to analyze the lahar frequency during the period of 1969–2012 on an inter-annual and intra-annual basis and to determine the link between the volume of tephra and the frequency of lahars; (2) to detail the lahar trajectory and channel evolution following the January 8th lahar; (3) to map the spatial distribution of the thickness and geomorphic effects of the lahar deposit; and (4) to determine the impacts of the lahar on the infrastructure (sabo dams and roads) and settlements in the distal area of the volcano. The Kali Putih watershed has experienced 62 lahars, which represent 22% of all lahars triggered on 17 rivers at Merapi between 2010 and 2012. The main geomorphic impacts are: (1) excessive sedimentation in valleys, settlements and agricultural areas; (2) undercutting of the river banks by as much as 50 m, accompanied by channel widening; and (3) abrupt changes in the river channel direction in the distal area (15–20 km downstream of the volcano). About 19 sabo dams were damaged, and 3 were totally destroyed. Over 307 houses were damaged, and the National Road Yogyakarta–Semarang was regularly cut (18 times during approximately 25 days). Although the sabo dams on Kali Putih were originally constructed to protect distal areas from lahar damage, they had little effect on the 2010–2012 rain-triggered lahars. The underlying design of those dams along this river is one of the main reasons for the major destruction in this sector of the volcano’s lower slope. The catch basin capacity of the sabo dam was only 1.75 × 106 m3, whereas the total volume of the 2010–2011 lahars exceeded 5 × 106 m3. In order to prepare for future lahars, the government has invested in significant mitigation measures, ranging from structural approaches (e.g., building new sabo dams and developing an early warning system) to non-structural approaches (e.g., contingency and preparedness planning and hazard education).

Keywords: Lahars; Merapi volcano; Lahar impacts; Geomorphic evolution of volcanic drainage basins; Post-eruption hazards; Kali Putih (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-018-3396-7

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