YOGYAKARTA- Responding to possible widespread toxic and harmful gases in the form of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other gases due to increased activity in the Timbang crater, Dieng Plateau, UGM on Tuesday (7/6) sent a survey team to the location. The team led by senior researcher of Center for Natural Disaster Studies (PSBA) UGM, Prof. Dr. Sudibyakto, will work for three days. "The team consists of five researchers, particularly disaster management experts," Sudibyakto explained.
Sudibyakto said that the purposes of sending the survey team are to measure the concentration of toxic and hazardous gases, to map the distribution of harmful gases spatially and temporally, to find out to what extent the influence of environmental conditions on the distribution of dangerous gases, and to provide alternatives and mitigation efforts to reduce risks. "Another important thing is alternative efforts for mitigation and risk reduction of disaster victims," he added.
This team brought measuring instrumentation to measure harmful gases, visual map of the earth, GPS, satellite imagery and meteorological instrumentation to determine the direction and wind speed and pattern of its distribution. In addition, they also plan to evaluate and provide alternative solutions to problems in Dieng, nemly, safe zones mapping, evacuation routes, location of population relocation, and 'need assessment' for refugees. "Because UGM has experience in the field of disaster management and spatial planning disaster-prone areas, it is expected that the results of this survey can provide spatial revision based on risk reduction," said the lecturer of Faculty of Geography.
Up to yesterday, Monday (6/6), Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) stated that concentration of poisonous gas of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by Timbang crater, Mount Dieng, Banjarnegara Rgeency, is still high and maximally recorded at 1.95 percent of volume. In terms of seismicity, observations between 00:00 to 06:00 am showed that quake blast happened once, two volcanic earthquakes, one local tectonic earthquake, and one far tectonic earthquake.
Related to this matter, up to now the status of Timbang crater is still “stand-by” and the possibility of gas sliding distance is still significant. Therefore, PVMBG still recommends emptying the region within a radius of one kilometer from the crater.