Category Archives: Amazing Nature's

The Merapi Eruption, Worst Since 1872

A. lesto P. Kusumo, Source: my documntation, M...
Mount Merapi

Let’s pray, redeem and thankful to what we have! #prayforindonesia

After erupting and spewing heat clouds continuously since Wednesday morning, Mount Merapi unleashed its most extreme volcanic activity yet on Thursday.

The eruption, which threw volcanic material more than seven kilometers into the atmosphere, was five times stronger than the initial eruption on Oct. 26 that killed 36 people.

Merapi has erupted almost daily for 10 days, and the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) is calling Thursday’s the worst since 1872.

Surono, head of the agency, said the danger zone had been extended by five kilometers to 20km from the crater.

Meanwhile, worries are growing over two other volcanoes that are showing increased activity. 

  • Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, has been almost continuously active since 1967 and on Thursday morning it spewed smoke 100 meters into the air.
  • In Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, authorities have warned of increased activity at Mount Egon. “Since Wednesday the mountain has been shrouded in a thick cloud emanating from the crater,” said Suryanto, head of the Egon observation post. 
  • Two other mountains in East Nusa Tenggara — Rokatenda and Lewotobi — are also reported to be exhibiting increased activity.

Source: The Jakarta Globe

Earth Sky Island

For those who watched Avatar, behold, the Earth Sky Island, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (full name: Hunan Zhangjiajie National Forest Park; Chinese: pinyin: Húnán Zha-ngjia-jiè Guójia- Se-nlín Go-ngyuán) is a unique national forest park located in Zhangjiajie City in northern Hunan Province in the People’s Republic of China.

In 1982 it was recognized as China’s first national forest park (4,810 hectares). Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was designated a much larger (397.5 km²) Wulingyuan National Park by the State Council on August 1, 1988. In 1992, Wulingyuan National Park was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was then approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources as Zhangjiajie Sandstone Peak Forest National Geopark (3,600 km²) in 2001. In 2004, Zhangjiajie Geopark was listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

The most notable geographic features of the park are the pillar-like formations that are seen throughout the park. They are the result of many years of erosion. The weather is moist year round, and as a result, the foliage is very dense. Much of the erosion which forms these pillars are the result of expanding ice in the winter and the plants which grow on them. These formations are a distinct hallmark of Chinese landscape, and can be found in many ancient Chinese paintings.

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