In July 2015, the Indonesian island of Bali became the center of attention of the general public. The sky above it was overcast due to the emission of ash. At the airport, thousands of tourists were blocked. The government evacuated local residents from the natural disaster zone. But the rice fields were under a layer of volcanic ash. And several villages located on the slopes of the fire-breathing mountains burned down. Does this situation often happen in Bali? The volcanic eruption for Indonesia is not uncommon. After all, the state-archipelago is included in the so-called fiery belt of the Earth. This strip, stretching from Kamchatka to the equator along the Pacific coast, still suffers from the violent tectonic activity of our planet. But Bali is also a popular tourist destination. Wide beaches with white sand, mountains where streams murmur, crystal waterfalls and lush greenery of the tropical jungle ... Add to this all the first-class service and well-developed tourist infrastructure. Are travelers traveling to this tropical paradise much at risk? Read about it in our article.
Explosive Indonesia
Every year, seismologists register about seven thousand earthquakes in this country. The figure, of course, is impressive. But do not let this fact scare you away from a trip to Indonesia. The lion's share of tremors is recorded only by sensitive devices. But, nevertheless, seismologists vigilantly monitor the activity of the subsoil beneath the islands of Indonesia. Indeed tremors can be symptoms of a much more dangerous phenomenon - volcanic eruptions. These mountains in Indonesia are truly deadly. Only the harbinger of an eruption - the release of sulfuric gases - can kill all life that is nearby. Pillars of smoke cover the whole sky in impenetrable darkness. Hot stones fall - volcanic bombs. And lava flows down, burning everything in its path. There are five hundred volcanoes in Indonesia. But only 128 of them are operational, and 65 are recognized as especially dangerous. Are volcanoes in Bali dangerous and how much? We hasten to assure that mainly eruptions occur on the islands of Java and Sumatra. In the "tropical paradise" that is popular with tourists, the situation is not so tense. Though…
Active volcanoes in Bali
To calm down a bit, let's recall school science, or rather, fifth grade geography. Volcanoes are extinct, dormant and active. To which category this or that mountain belongs, seismologists decide on the basis of the date of the last eruption. Bali in origin is a volcanic island. But not all mountains on it are potentially dangerous. After all, the island was formed millions of years ago. And if a particular volcano erupted for the last time more than ten thousand years ago, it is called extinct. When he showed activity 3,500 years ago, he is recorded as sleeping. Now about the situation in Bali. It is believed that there are only two active volcanoes on this island. This is Gugung ("Mountain") Agung and Batur. All other volcanoes in Bali are extinct or dormant. Therefore, you can safely go to this island. The last volcanic eruption in Bali occurred in 2000. It is impossible to call this a real explosion - Gugung Batur threw out a column of ash three hundred meters high, and this was the end of the matter. But in 1964 there was a real eruption (from the same volcano). The highest point of the island of Gugung Agung has not been active for a very long time.
Dangerous neighborhood?
Two active volcanoes on one small island - it's still a bit much - fearful tourists will think. And they will be wrong. One has only to look at the population density around local volcanoes, as you will dispel the slightest fears. Small villages can be found even in craters. Farmers are attracted by this neighborhood because the mineral-rich volcanic ash is an excellent fertilizer for the soil. Due to the altitudinal zonation, a mild microclimate has developed on the slopes of the mountain, which contributes to a good harvest. There is also no problem with watering crops, since on the slopes of the mountains very often it rains briefly. Any volcano in Bali is respected by the locals. This is evidenced by temples on the slopes. And since these structures are old, it can be concluded that the local residents do not consider the proximity to the volcano to be dangerous. The Bali tourism industry uses these mountains for excursions.
The importance of volcanoes for local residents
In the religion and culture of the Indonesians, the center of the universe was the mythical Mount Mahameru. This axis of the universe has split in half. So there were Agung and Batur - volcanoes, on top of which the gods live. All villages in Bali are oriented to the highest mountain of the island. Residents go to bed head towards Gugung Agung - so that the soul is close to the gods. Legend has it that before the emergence of volcanoes, the island was deserted and barren. This is partly true: ashes fertilize the local soil well. The gods descend to the people down on great holidays, and then return to the peaks. To honor them, temples were built on the slopes of volcanoes. Since Agung is the highest mountain of the island, the Besaki complex is the most revered place of worship. This volcano in Bali is under the auspices of Batara Mahadeva (in the local Hinduism of Shiva). Once in a hundred years, the ceremony of Eka Das Rudra - “purification of the world from all sins” is held in the Besakikh temple on the slopes of Agung. And this holiday in 1963 turned into a tragedy.
Eruption of the Agung
The ceremony of purification of the world was scheduled for the spring of 1963. However, when the Agung volcano woke up in Bali in February, the priests stated that the inhabitants had chosen the wrong date for the ritual. Say, Shiva does not want to go down to people that day and expresses his dissatisfaction with the columns of smoke coming from the crater of the mountain. Volcanologists were also in solidarity with the priests. They warned Indonesian President Sukarno that Agung was showing signs of activity and an eruption could begin. However, he had already invited foreign delegations to the holiday and did not want to postpone the ceremony. On March 18, 1963, the eruption of Agung entered the active phase. Crater explosions occurred, lava descended. The Besakikh Temple was not miraculously damaged. The lava flow was only a few meters from the buildings. However, a large number of people then died. Now the top of the volcano resembles a lunar landscape, which tourists come to admire. And the locals still honor Agung. They hang up offerings on a curved bamboo pole Pendzhor which outlines reminds the highest peak of the island.
Gugung Agung
This is the highest stratovolcano in Bali - its peak rises to 3142 meters above sea level. It is located in the eastern part of the island. The name Gugung Agung translates as "Great Mountain." Over the entire history of observations, the volcanic eruption in Bali occurred only four times: in 1808, 1821, 1843 and 1963-1964. The latter was the most significant and powerful. Then two thousand people died, lava and mudflows descended. Raspberry sunsets, which were then observed in Europe, were associated, according to some scientists, with the release into the atmosphere of a large amount of ash from the vent of Agung. After the eruption, the parameters of the crater also changed. Now it is an oval funnel five hundred meters long and two hundred wide. The volcano showed little activity in the 1980s. In 2000-2001, an abnormally hot temperature in the springs was noticed near Agung. Now the Great Mountain is napping ... Under the scrutiny of volcanologists.
Batur Volcano in Bali
This is the third highest mountain of the island. It is located very close to Agung. For tourists, it is Batur that is a favorite place for climbing. Why? Firstly, the height. 1717 meters - this is not three thousand. The hike itself, if you start it very early in the morning, lasts half a day, and you can relax on the beaches. Secondly, at the foot of Batur is the lake of the same name, the most picturesque in the district. There are volcanoes and temples on the slopes. One of the tourist attractions of Batur are jets of hot steam. They make their way from various slots of the mountain, reminding nonchalant travelers that the volcano is something active. The guides assure that in the jets of this steam it is quite possible to cook fried eggs. The last eruption of Batur occurred (in a duet with Agung) in 1964. After that, the volcano still threw a column of ash up to three hundred meters in 2000, as a result of which the international airport was closed for several days. Now Batur has stopped. Only steam jets warn of a hidden threat.
Batukaru
It is the second largest volcano in Bali. Its height is two thousand three hundred and fifty meters. On the slopes of this extinct volcano there is also a temple - Pura Luhur. The road leads through a forest with frisky monkeys. Climbing this mountain is recommended to take good bird's-eye shots of the island.
Caldera Chatur
When our planet was still young, the volcanoes on it were simply huge. When they erupted, calderas formed with many independent peaks. Such is Chatur now - a volcanic ridge stretching for eleven kilometers. Excursions go to Sengayang, Pohan, Lesung and Pengilingan, since this region is famous for its thermal springs. There are also beautiful lakes - Bro, Tamblingan and Buyan. To the southwest of Chatur stands Batukaru - the second highest volcano in Bali.
What happened in the summer of 2015
On June 3rd, news came that the sky over Bali Airport was closed. Since the island is a popular tourist destination, this news caused a stir. Is there a new volcanic eruption in Bali? Batur has been sleeping since 1964, Agung too. What happened? In fact, the seismological situation escalated in Java and Sumatra. Sinabung volcano made a noise . He woke up at the beginning of 2014, killing sixteen people. The mountain is located in the north of Sumatra. In the summer of this year, Sinabung threw volcanic ash into the sky. Pillars of dense smoke reached a height of two thousand meters, temporarily making air travel impossible. In July, two more volcanoes in Java woke up - Gamalama and Raung. Because of them, nine hundred flights were canceled.
Tourist attraction or serious risk?
So is it worth it to fear volcanoes in Bali? As the reviews of tourists show, and the measured and calm life of the islanders themselves, there is no reason for concern. Volcanoes do not wake up instantly and unexpectedly. Their eruption is preceded by various phenomena, such as an increase in the temperature of sources, the release of gases. Especially attractive for tourists is such a volcano on the island of Bali as Batur.