Geology 101

GEOLOGY 101 EXTRA CREDIT VOLCANO INVESTIGATION NAME:

Name of Volcano

Tambora volcano

Type of volcano (use classification system in Fletcher)

Strato volcano

Eruption history (last eruption, eruptions in recorded history)

The onset of Tambora’s catastrophic eruption started on April 5, 1815.It began as pyroclastic flows and small tremors. On the evening of 10th April, a shattering blast blew the mountain apart. Before the eruption of Mount Tambora, it was about 4,300 meters high. After the end of the eruption, a caldera spanning about 6 km across remained. Tambora volcano remains active. There were smaller eruptions that took place in 1880 and 1967.Elements of increased seismic activity occurred in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Tectonic setting

The Tambora stratovolcano covers the entire 60-km-wide Sanggar Peninsula is located on northern Sumbawa Island. Tambora volcano initially grew to about 4000 meters elevation. This was before the major explosion that destroyed its summit. The explosion left a pre-1815 caldera.

The 1815 eruption emptied about 50-150 cubic kilometers of magma .It has a measure of 7 on the VEI scale. It produced a huge plinian eruption column. This is estimated to have reached more than 40-50 km in terms of altitude, ejecting bulky amounts of aerosols and ash into the stratosphere.

The Pyroclastic flows reached the sea on all sections of the peninsula. Heavy tephra fall destroyed croplands, causing about 60,000 fatalities. The Entire villages were buried by thick pumice deposits. Some of the populations have lately been brought back to light by archaeological excavations.

Do people live near this volcano? How many?

People still live near this volcano but the exact number is not known.

What are the primary hazards associated with your volcano?

The pyroclastic flows, blast, and tsunamis that followed after the eruption killed at least 10,000 islanders and destroyed the homes of about 35,000 people. More fatalities were attributed to the indirect consequence of global climate deterioration after the eruption. These climate changes turned the following year 1816 into the "year without a summer" for much of Europe. This resulted to widespread famine. It is believed that the volcano eruption produced tsunamis with waves as high as 10 meters

Who is monitoring this volcano and what are they doing?

The Directorate of Vulcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Indonesia does the monitoring for Mount Tambora volcano. The body focuses on tectonic and seismic activities by using a seismograph. Monitoring is constantly performed inside the caldera.

References

Francis, P., 1994, Volcanoes a planetary perspective: Oxford University Press, New York, 443 p.

Self, S., Rampino, M.R., Newton, M.S., and Wolff, J.A., 1989, Volcanological Study of the Great Tambora Eruption of 1815: Geology, v. 12, p. 659-663.

Sigurdsson, H., and Carey, S., 1989, Plinian and Co-Igmibrite Tephra Fall from the 1815 Eruption of Tambora Volcano: Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 51, p. 243-270.

Stothers, R.B., 1984, The Great Tambora Eruption of 1815 and Its Aftermath: Science, v. 224, 1191-1198.