Mount Galunggung is an active stratovolcano in West Java, Indonesia, around 80 km (50 mi) southeast of the West Java provincial capital, Bandung. Mount Galunggung is part of the Sunda Arc extending through Sumatra, Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands, which has resulted from the subduction of the Australian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate.
The Indonesian island of Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin, and contains numerous volcanoes, 45 of which are considered active volcanoes. As is the case for many other Indonesian islands, volcanoes have played a vital role in the geological and human history of Java. Indeed, land is created on Java as a result of lava flows, ash deposits, and mud flows (lahars). Volcanoes are a major contributor to the immense fertility of Java, as natural erosion transports volcanic material as alluvium to the island's plains, forming thick layers of fertile sediment. The benefit is not just in the immediate vicinity of the volcano, with fine ash emitted from eruptions being dispersed over wide areas.
The Bromo, or Mount Bromo is an active somma volcano, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and part of the Tengger mountains, in East Java, Indonesia. At 2,329 meters (7,641 ft) it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most active and famous. The area is one of the most visited tourist destinations in East Java, and the volcano is included in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. At the mouth of the crater, there is an idol of Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom which is being worshipped by the Javanese Hindus. Mount Bromo is located in the middle of a plain called "Sea of Sand", a nature reserve that has been protected since 1919.
An active volcano is a volcano that has erupted during the Holocene, is currently erupting, or has the potential to erupt in the future. A volcano that is not currently erupting but could erupt in the future is known as a dormant volcano. Volcanoes that will not erupt again are known as extinct volcanoes.
The Kelud is a mountain stratovolcano located in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. Like many Indonesian volcanoes and others on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Kelud is known for large explosive eruptions throughout its history. More than 30 eruptions have occurred since 1000 AD. In 2007, an effusive explosion filled the crater with a lava dome. It last erupted on 13 February 2014, destroying the lava dome and ejecting boulders, stones and ashes up to West Java about 500 kilometres (310 mi) from Mount Kelud. The crater filled with water during the rainy season.
The Semeru, or Mount Semeru is an active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia. It is located in a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian plate subducts under the Eurasia plate. It is the highest mountain on the island of Java. The name "Semeru" is derived from Meru, the central world mountain in Hinduism, or Sumeru, the abode of gods. This stratovolcano is Mahameru, meaning "The Great Mountain" in Sanskrit. It is one of the more popular hiking destinations in Indonesia.
Kelimutu is a volcano close to the small town of Moni in central Flores island in Indonesia. It is around 50 km (31 mi) to the east of Ende, Indonesia, the capital of Ende regency in East Nusa Tenggara province. It has three volcanic crater lakes that differ in color. Tiwi Ata Mbupu, on the western side of the island is blue in color while Tiwu Nua Muri Kooh Tai and Tiwu Ata Polo are usually colors of green and red. These lakes shift color due to changes that occur within the geology and chemistry of the volcano.
Mount Merbabu is a dormant stratovolcano in Central Java province on the Indonesian island of Java. The name Merbabu could be loosely translated as 'Mountain of Ash' from the Javanese combined words; Meru means "mountain" and awu or abu means "ash".
Mount Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano of andesite and dacite in the Karo plateau of Karo Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the Lake Toba supervolcano. Many old lava flows are on its flanks and the last known eruption, before recent times, occurred 1200 years before present, between 740 - 880 CE. Solfataric activities were last observed at the summit in 1912; recent documented events include an eruption in the early hours of 29 August 2010 and eruptions in September and November 2013, January, February and October 2014. The volcano has recently claimed the life of at least 23 people in a number of events since 2014. Between 2013 and 2014, the alert for a major event was increased with no significant activity. On 2 June 2015, the alert was again increased, and on 26 June 2015, at least 10,000 people were evacuated, fearing a major eruption. The long eruption of Mount Sinabung is similar to that of Mount Unzen in Japan, which erupted for five years after lying dormant for 400 years. A major eruption began on 10 August 2020.
Mount Patuha is a twin stratovolcano about 50 km to the southwest of Bandung in West Java, Indonesia. It is located in the Bandung District of West Java. It is one of numerous volcanoes in this area; others in the region include Mount Malabar, Mount Wayang, and Mount Papandayan.
Mount Papandayan is a complex stratovolcano, located in Garut Regency, to the southeast of the city of Bandung in West Java, Indonesia. It is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the southwest of the town of Garut. At the summit, there are four large craters which contain active fumarole fields. An eruption in 1772 caused the northeast flank to collapse producing a catastrophic debris avalanche that destroyed 40 villages and killed nearly 3,000 people. The eruption truncated the volcano into a broad shape with two peaks and a flat area 1.1 km wide with Alun-Alun crater in the middle, making the mountain appear as a twin volcano; one of the peaks is called Papandayan and the other Mount Puntang.
Mount Slamet is an active stratovolcano that summits in the Pemalang Regency of Central Java, Indonesia. It has a cluster of around three dozen cinder cones on the lower southeast and northeast flanks and a single cinder cone on the western flank. The volcano is composed of two overlapping edifices. Four craters are found at the summit. Mount Slamet is a location with the coldest average temperature on the island of Java and one of the areas with the highest annual rainfall in Indonesia, namely 8,134.00 millimeters (mm) per year.
Mount Gamkonora is a stratovolcano on Halmahera island, Indonesia. With an elevation of 1,560 metres (5,118 ft), it is the highest peak on the island. It has produced an elongated series of craters along the north–south rift.
Sangkuriang is a legend among Sundanese people in Indonesia. The legend tells about the creation of Lake Bandung, Mount Tangkuban Parahu, Mount Burangrang, and Mount Bukit Tunggul. The legend of Sangkuriang tells the story of a young man who falls in love with his mother, which is somewhat comparable to the Greek tragedy Oedipus.
Kawah Putih is a crater lake and tourist spot in a volcanic crater about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.
Lake Bandung was a prehistoric lake located in and around the city of Bandung, Parahyangan highlands, West Java, Indonesia. believed to exist between 126,000 and 20,000 BCE in the Pleistocene due to the violent eruption of Mount Sunda that blocked the Citarum River, causing the lowlands to begin to be inundated with water, eventually forming a lake.
Mount Sunda was an ancient volcano that once stood in Priangan highlands in today's West Java province, Java island, Indonesia. The Sunda volcano existed during the Pleistocene age before a violent Plinian eruption caused its summit to collapse. The volcano formed the northern ridge of the Bandung Basin. The ancient volcano is the predecessor of today's Tangkuban Perahu, Burangrang, and Bukit Tunggul volcanoes.
Mount Agung, a volcano on the island of Bali in Indonesia, erupted five times in late November 2017, causing thousands to evacuate, disrupting air travel and causing environmental damage. As of 27 November 2017, the alert level was at its highest and evacuation orders were in place.
Øystein Lund Andersen is a Norwegian photographer and writer.
