Some of us would not know that Mount Tambora on
record as the highest volcano in Indonesia. That was before the volcano erupted
in April 1815 devastating.
When the summit of Mount Tambora reached a height of
about 4,300 meters above sea level (asl). Compare with the highest land in
Indonesia, namely Puncak Jayawijaya, Papua, the altitude about 3050 m above sea
level.
After the great eruption of Tambora, the land at the
top of it spewed out in all directions. As a result, the height of a volcano
that was left by half, which is about 2851 m above sea level.
The eruption is so horrible it also left a huge
caldera. In fact, according to records, the size of the caldera is most
widespread in Indonesia. Imagine, the caldera has a diameter of about 7 km, a
maximum length of 16 km and a depth of 1.5 km.
Today, the volcano which is administratively located
in two counties; Dompu and Bima, West Nusa Tenggara province (NTB) were left
miraculous story, not only in Indonesia but also impacts to the various parts
of the world.
Very tense
The tragedy began in early April 1815. When the area
around Mount Tambora began to vibrate. Vibration was intensified on 10 April
1815, at 19:00 local time. Since then up to five days, the explosion of Mount
Tambora reached its climax.
At night, from a distance Tambora really lit a fire
that continues to radiate because of the mountain peaks. The atmosphere was
very tense. Mountain stream seemed to turn into a huge fire.
At the same time, the eruption was also spewing hot
gas, ash, and rocks toward the bottom as far as 20 km down to the sea. Villages
around Tambora was destroyed by pyroclastic flows engulfed them.
According to Firdaus Haris in his book titled
Greatest Mysteries of Indonesia (2008), three small kingdoms burned and
destroyed by the lava and the eruption of Mount Tambora material. The third
kingdom is Concentrated within about 30 miles west of Tambora. Then, Empire
Studio is 35 km east of Tambora, and the kingdom of Tambora is 25 km from the
volcano.
Almost all residents in the three kingdoms were
killed. Only two people survived. In fact, the kingdom's third location was
already cultivated quite safe from the effects of volcanic eruptions.
The eruption of Mount Tambora also carry a very
large landslide material into the sea. Avalanches that cause a tsunami on the
beaches in Indonesia such as Bima, East Java and Maluku. Tsunami height was
estimated at 4 meters.
Not only that, it also cast a powerful blast of
volcanic ash up to West Java and South Sulawesi. Even the smell wafted up
Nitric also to Batavia (now Jakarta). Heavy rain accompanied the fall of ash
also occur.
According to geologists, the eruption was the
largest natural disaster in history. Imagine, as compared with the eruption of
Krakatoa which occurred in August 1883, the explosion of Mount Tambora more
dahsat four times as much.
The eruption of Mount Tambora was heard up to the
island of Sumatra, Makassar and Ternate as far as 2,600 km. Ashes were also
flown as far as 1,300 km with an altitude of 44 km from the soil surface.
Volume of dust is estimated at 400 km3.
Because of the thick dust flying in the sky, along
the area with a radius of 600 km of the mountain is visible darkness for two
days. Understandably, the sun could not penetrate the thick gray earlier.
Areas suffer most certainly near the location of
Tambora. According to the Swiss botanist, Heinrich Zollinger, the eruption was
instantly killed about 10,000 people.
After that, the number of deaths from starvation in
Sumbawa reached 38,000 people and 10,000 people in Lombok. Another source said
it had reduced the eruption of Sumbawa to the remaining population of only
85,000 people..
Number of Victims of Widespread
Not only that. The death toll also spread to the
island of Bali, which reached 10,000 people. The next impact, as many as 49,000
people died from disease and starvation.
Why was there a prolonged famine? There are several
reasons. First, all the plants on the island of Sumbawa when it is destroyed by
a thick ash-covered and engulfed in flames.
Second, during the two weeks of heavy clouds still
covered the areas around Mount Tambora, including Bali. Impact, many crops were
destroyed and crop failures.
Third, the ash particles in the long term still in
atmofer with altitude 10-30 km. As a result, the climate cycle becomes erratic
and farmers could not harvest the crop cultivation.
Table Comparison of Impact World Volcano Eruption
Letusan
|
Tahun
|
Tinggi
Kolom (km)
|
|
anomaly
Musim Panas (°C)
|
Kematian
|
Mount Vesuvius
|
79
|
30
|
5
|
?
|
>2000
|
Taupo
|
186
|
51
|
7
|
?
|
|
Baekdu
|
969
|
25
|
6–7
|
?
|
?
|
Kuwae
|
1452
|
?
|
6
|
?0.5
|
?
|
Huaynaputina
|
1600
|
46
|
6
|
?0.8
|
?1400
|
Tambora
|
1815
|
43
|
7
|
?0.5
|
> 71,000
|
Krakatau
|
1883
|
25
|
6
|
?0.3
|
36,600
|
SantamarÃa
|
1902
|
34
|
6
|
no
anomaly
|
7,000–13,000
|
Katmai
|
1912
|
32
|
6
|
?0.4
|
2
|
Mt. St. Helens
|
1980
|
19
|
5
|
no
anomaly
|
57
|
El Chichón
|
1982
|
32
|
4–5
|
?
|
> 2,000
|
Nevado del Ruiz
|
1985
|
27
|
3
|
no
anomaly
|
23,000
|
Pinatubo
|
1991
|
34
|
6
|
?0.5
|
1202
|
Sourse: Wikipedia
|