Volcanoes

Indonesia is home to about 150 volcanoes, 130 of them are active. These volcanoes sit within the ring of fire and have "high eruptive potential" due to the seismic activity of plate boundaries, such as the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates.  The frequent earthquakes Indonesia experiences contribute to the elevated volcanic activity, not only that but the intensity of the earthquake can effect the viscosity of magma and the eruption type. Eruption patterns can be thrown off after earthquakes as well, eruptions may be speed up afterwards. In Indonesia a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 2001 caused fumarole temperatures to rise in Mount Merapi. Mount Merapi is the most active volcano in the world, it is a pyroclastic stratovolcano that sits 2986 meters above sea level. In 2006 another earthquake resulted in the increase of magma extrusion and pyroclastic flow. 


Mitigation: 

In Indonesia 70% of the population is located within a volcanic zone, with some citizens living within 6 miles of a volcano. Most of the people living in those areas rely on agriculture, the volcanic ash provides minerals that boost soil fertility.  People don't always follow evacuation protocols or return too early to check on their property such as livestock ultimately causing them their life's. Due to this the government implemented six stages of efforts to reduces victims of volcanic eruptions:

  1.  Research is used to analyze a eruption models to aid the Early Warning System. 
  2.  Mapping geophysical hazards that identify dangerous areas. 
  3. Socialization spreading awareness and knowledge in the affected area. 
  4. Monitoring observing, recording, and analyzing volcanic activity. 
  5. A Early Warning System has been installed, giving authorities a head start on evacuations. 
  6. And a Quick Response Team is tasked with evaluating the condition of the volcano and present the findings to the government and community.

The National Agency for Disaster Management in Indonesia also introduced evacuation training drills focused on citizens with livestock in 2022.  



Sources:

https://adventure.com/indonesia-volcanoes-rural-life-java-tourism/ 

https://www.oceanearthtravels.com/history/volcanoes-indonesia/ 

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/57502

 

Comments

  1. JeanetteFebruary 28, 2025 at 11:02 PM

    Thanks for sharing information about volcanoes in Indonesia. Your blog was very interesting, especially that the eruption type is affected by earthquakes. It is sad to hear that many people do not follow the evacuation guidelines. It reminds me of people in my area when there is a flood or fire. They do not want to leave their property, and I can understand a little. People in Indonesia probably rely on raising livestock for their livelihood. I was impressed that the government recognized that that was an area that needed attention and created evacuation training drills focused on those with livestock.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sara MilletteMarch 2, 2025 at 4:13 PM

    Wow, I didn't know there were 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It must be scary if 90% of the population lives in an active volcanic zone. It's interesting that volcanic ash provides nutrients for the soil for agriculture in Indonesia. I'm sure the types of plants that grow in those regions have adapted to need the nutrients from the ash over time. It's helpful that Indonesia is taking action with early warnings to keep the population safe. I loved reading your blog!

    ReplyDelete

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