Mt. Tambora
By: Sofia Mosquera & Emily Mainwald
General Information
Mt. Tambora is located in Asia. It is on the island Sumbawa which is located in Indonesia.
Plate Tectonics
The Eurasian and Australian Plates form Mt. Tambora. This is a Convergent Plate Boundary. The Australian Plate which is sliding below the Eurasian Plate is getting soaked with water which aids in melting the mantle wedge, this forms magma. Often the magma cools and a volcano does not form. However, when magma reaches the surface a volcano is formed.
Type of Volcano
Mt. Tambora is a Stratovolcano. It was formed with lava that had a lot of viscosity and a high gas content. Mt. Tambora produces a Plinian Eruption, which are the most powerful eruptions of all.
The Island of Sumbawa
There are many cities and little villages by Mt. Tambora. Some cities and villages around Mt. Tambora are Sumbawa Barat Regency and Jakarta. Agriculture, surfing and mining are important to the people of Sumbawa. Agriculture is important to the people of Sumbawa. Near volcanoes the soil is very fertile because volcanic rocks are very rich in minerals which is ideal for farming. Also, there are many beaches in Sumbawa and a lot of the people surf. Lastly, mining is important to the people of Sumbawa. Mining is ideal around a volcano because magma rising from deep inside the earth contains a range of minerals for mining.
Effects of Mt. Tambora
When Mt. Tambora erupts it destroys the crops of the towns and villages around it, which leads to the risk of starvation on the island. Also, when Mt. Tambora erupts there is a lot of pyroclastic flow which is a hazard. Mt. Tambora has a long eruption history. It erupted in 3910 BC, 3050 BC, 740 AD, 1815, 1819, 1880, and 1967. When it erupted in 1815 it was recorded as one of the biggest eruptions in the world.
Vocabulary
Mantle Wedge- A triangular shaped piece of the mantle.
Viscosity- The state of thickness.
Pyroclastic Flow- A destructive mass of hot ash and lava fragments.