At 2,911 meters, the summit of Merapi Volcano and its vigorous steam plume rises above a bank of stratus clouds on its southern flank on August 24, 2003. One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, it has been almost continuously active for nearly ten years, including periodic pyroclastic flows (hot ash and rock debris) and avalanches (see reports at www.volcano.si.edu/gvp/world/region06/java/merapi/var.htm#bgvn_2709 the Global Volcanism Network ). The volcano is located less than 25 miles north of the city of Yogykarta in central Java. More than 50,000 people live adjacent the treacherous southwestern slope, where volcanic material often sloughs from the unstable summit. Note the deep ravines on the eastern slopes providing rich soils and moisture to the agriculture below. Additional information about Merapi and its history of volcanic activity can be found at the Smithsonian's www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0603-25= Global Volcanism Program Website.
