WEDUS GEMBEL, BEHIND A NAME

Indonesian again jolted by the eruption of Mount Merapi in Central Java which occurred unlike in previous years. Merapi erupted on October 26, 2010 by spreading volcanic material that was able to hit many villages around it. Of some materials coming out from Merapi, Wedus Gembel wasstill one of the forms, regarded unique but very dangerous.

Wedus Gembel itself is a name given by local residents of Yogyakarta for the hot clouds that glide from the crater of Mount Merapi. According to Wikipedia, pyroclastic flow is a fast-moving currents of extremely hot gas and rock, which travel away from a volcano at speeds Generally as great as 700 km / h (450 mph). The flows formally hug the ground and travel downhill, or spread laterally under gravity. Their speed depends upon the density of the current, the volcanic output rate, and the gradient of the slope. They are a common and devastating result of certain explosive volcanic Eruption.

The pyroclastic flow of Merapi is considered by the local people as similar to the feather of goat (wedus, in Javanese word) so they call it wedus gembel (curly goat). With compact cameras as well as professional ones, many residents and jounalists tried to photograph pyroclastic flow of Merapi.

Wedus gembel in the eruption of Mount Merapi on 26 October 2010 caused fatalities more than 30 people. However, the uniqueness of the pyroclastic flow remains a fascination for photography enthusiasts.