GROUP 7

MT. TAMBORA
• Mt. Tambora, or Tomboro, is an active
stratovolcano in the northern part of
Sumbawa, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands
of Indonesia. It was formed due to the
active subduction zones beneath it, and
before its 1815 eruption, it was more than
4,300 metres (14,100 feet) high, making it
one of the tallest peaks in the Indonesian
archipelago.
• Tambora’s 1815 eruption was the largest
in recorded human history. The magma
chamber under Tambora had been
drained by pre-1815 eruptions and
underwent several centuries of dormancy
as it refilled Volcanic activity reached a
peak that year, culminating in the
eruption.
• The explosion was heard on Sumatra island, more than 2,000
kilometres (1,200 miles) away. Heavy volcanic ash rains were
observed as far away as Borneo, Sulawesi, Java and Maluku
islands, and the maximum elevation of Tambora was reduced from
about 4,300 metres (14, 100 ft) to 2,850 metres (9, 350 feet).
Although estimates vary, the death toll was at least 71,000 people.
The eruption caused global climate anomalles in the following
years, while 1816 became known as the “year without a summer”
due to the impact on North American and European weather. In
the Northern Hemisphere, crops failed and livestock died, resulting
in the worst famine of the century.
• During a 2004 excavation, archaeologists
discovered the remains of a house destroyed and
buried by the 1815 eruption. The site has
remained intact beneath three metres of
pyroclastic deposits and provides insight into the
culture that vanished today. Mount Tambora is
closely monitored for volcanic activity; a powerful
eruption would affect millions of Indonesians. The
mountain is administered by the Bima Regency in
the northeast and by the Dompu Regency in the
west and south.
• Mount Tambora and its surroundings as seen from space
View of Mount Rinjani from Mount Tambora. Viewing distance is 165 kilometer (103 mi).
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF MT. TAMBORA