Why Indonesia is Always Erupting

Summary

This video explores the world's most volcanic regions, focusing on Indonesia's Sunda Arc, where volcanic activity is most intense. It explains the formation and dangers of volcanoes, highlighting why millions live near these natural threats. The video delves into specific volcanoes like Kawah Ijen, Merapi, Krakatau, and Mount Bromo, examining their unique characteristics, deadly potential, and cultural significance. Additionally, it discusses the economic activities and risks faced by locals, providing a deep understanding of the coexistence with these powerful natural phenomena.

Takeaways

• 🌋 Indonesia has the highest concentration of volcanoes on Earth, particularly in the Sunda Arc.
• 🌍 The ground beneath our feet consists of giant plates that float on molten lava, moving and interacting to create geological phenomena.
• 🏔️ When plates collide, mountains form, and when they force one plate below another, volcanoes emerge.
• 🇮🇩 The fast-moving plates in Indonesia result in significant volcanic activity, making it a hotspot for volcanoes.
• 🏡 Millions of people live near volcanoes despite the danger because the volcanic soil is incredibly fertile and supports abundant agriculture.
• ☠️ Volcanic eruptions are deadly primarily due to ash, which creates dangerous avalanches and mudflows.
• 💧 The Kawah Ijen volcano has the most acidic lake on Earth and emits sulfuric gas, which locals harvest despite the hazardous conditions.
• 🔥 Mount Merapi, or Fire Mountain, is the deadliest volcano, with frequent eruptions impacting nearby densely populated villages.
• 💥 Krakatau's 1883 eruption was one of the most explosive in history, significantly altering the island and causing widespread devastation.
• 🕌 Volcanoes in Indonesia hold deep religious and cultural significance, with annual rituals and offerings made to honor the deities represented by these natural features.

Q & A

Why does Indonesia have so many volcanoes?

Indonesia has many volcanoes because the Sunda Arc, a strip of land in Indonesia, is located where the Eurasian plate and the Indo-Australian plate collide at a rate of seven centimeters a year. This rapid movement results in significant volcanic activity.

What is the Sunda Arc?

The Sunda Arc is a region in Indonesia that experiences the majority of the country's volcanic activity. It is where the Eurasian plate and the Indo-Australian plate meet, causing numerous volcanic eruptions.

What are the primary dangers associated with volcanic eruptions?

The primary dangers include ash columns that fall and gain momentum on steep mountainsides, creating deadly ash avalanches, and mud rivers formed when ash mixes with rain, which can flood villages.

Why do many people live near volcanoes in Indonesia despite the risks?

People live near volcanoes because the soil around them is incredibly fertile, offering excellent conditions for agriculture. This high-risk, high-reward situation provides the best weather and growing conditions, making the land highly productive.

What is unique about the Kawah Ijen volcano?

Kawah Ijen has a one-kilometer-wide crater filled with highly acidic water, making it the most acidic lake on Earth. It also emits sulfuric gas that ignites into mesmerizing blue flames during eruptions.

How do locals utilize the sulfuric gas from Kawah Ijen?

Locals install ceramic pipes to capture the sulfuric gas, condense it into liquid, and collect it as a solid. They then harvest and sell the sulfur, which is used mainly to bleach sugar.

What makes Mount Merapi particularly deadly?

Mount Merapi is deadly because it erupts frequently and millions of people live right up against it. Its eruptions produce ash avalanches and mudflows that can devastate nearby villages.

What was significant about the eruption of Krakatau?

The eruption of Krakatau was one of the most explosive in modern history, with its blast heard by 10% of the world's population. It caused tens of thousands of deaths and led to a red haze in the sky, possibly inspiring the painting 'The Scream.'

What is the cultural significance of Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo?

Mount Semeru is named after the mythical Mount Meru, considered the center of the physical and spiritual universes in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology. Mount Bromo is named after the Hindu god of creation, Rama, and is a site for annual religious offerings.

How do volcanoes impact the environment and agriculture in Indonesia?

Volcanoes enrich the soil with nutrients, making it some of the most fertile land on Earth. This leads to multiple harvests per year, particularly for crops like rice, thus supporting the local agriculture and economy.

Outlines

00:00

🌋 Volcanoes of the World and the Deadly Beauty of Indonesia's Sunda Arc

The script introduces the global distribution of volcanoes, highlighting the high concentration in Indonesia's Sunda Arc. It explains the geological process behind volcano formation due to tectonic plate movements, particularly the collision of plates that leads to volcanic activity. The script emphasizes the intensity and beauty of these natural phenomena, as well as the risks they pose to the millions living nearby. The narrator's goal is to understand the deadly nature of volcanoes and the reasons behind the close proximity of human settlements to these geological hazards.

05:00

💼 The Harsh Reality and Economic Opportunities of Kawah Ijen's Sulfur Harvesting

This paragraph delves into the economic aspect of living near volcanoes, using Kawah Ijen as an example. It describes how locals capitalize on the volcanic sulfur by installing pipes to condense the gas into a liquid, which solidifies and is harvested. The segment includes a firsthand account of the challenging work conditions faced by the sulfur collectors, who carry heavy loads for minimal pay, reflecting the high-risk, high-reward nature of living near an active volcano.

10:03

🔥 The Deadly History and Fertility of Mount Merapi, Indonesia's Most Lethal Volcano

The script discusses Mount Merapi, known as the most dangerous volcano due to its frequent eruptions and proximity to densely populated areas. It explains the allure of living near the volcano despite the risks, attributing it to the region's ideal climate, abundant water supply from mountain rainfall, and the incredibly fertile soil resulting from volcanic activity. This fertile land supports three rice harvests annually, illustrating the high reward that comes with the risk of living on a 'sleeping dragon'.

🌄 The Devastating Power and Rebirth of

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Keywords

💡Volcanoes

Volcanoes are geological formations that result from the eruption of molten rock, ash, and gases from the Earth's crust. They are a central theme in the video, illustrating the natural power and beauty of these geological features. The script discusses the concentration of volcanoes in Indonesia, particularly along the Sunda Arc, and their impact on the surrounding environment and human populations.

💡Sunda Arc

The Sunda Arc is a specific region in Indonesia known for its high concentration of volcanic activity. It is a subduction zone where one tectonic plate is forced under another, leading to the formation of numerous volcanoes. The video emphasizes the intensity and frequency of volcanic activity in this area, making it a focal point for understanding the video's exploration of volcanoes.

💡Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that describes the movement of large plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere. In the context of the video, plate tectonics is crucial for explaining why certain areas, like the Sunda Arc, have a high number of volcanoes. The movement and interaction of these plates cause volcanic eruptions, as one plate is subducted beneath another.

💡Volcanic Ash

Volcanic ash refers to the tiny fragments of rock, minerals, and volcanic glass that are expelled into the air during an eruption. The video script highlights the deadly nature of volcanic ash, which can travel long distances and pose a significant risk to human populations living near volcanoes. The ash can cause respiratory issues and, when mixed with rain, can lead to destructive mudflows.

💡Lava

Lava is molten rock that is expelled by a volcano during an eruption and flows across the surface. While lava is often associated with the destructive power of volcanoes, the script also points out that it plays a crucial role in the formation of new landmasses, such as islands, when it cools and solidifies underwater.

💡Kawah Ijen

Kawah Ijen is a specific volcano mentioned in the script, known for its unique blue flames caused by the combustion of sulfur gas. This volcano exemplifies the video's theme of the beauty and danger of volcanic activity. The script also discusses the human element, as locals mine sulfur from the volcano for economic gain, despite the hazardous conditions.

💡Mount Merapi

Mount Merapi, also known as Fire Mountain, is a volcano in Indonesia that has been responsible for more human fatalities than any other. The video uses this volcano to illustrate the proximity of human settlements to these natural hazards and to explore the reasons why people choose to live in such risky areas.

💡Fertility

In the context of the video, fertility refers to the richness of the soil in volcanic regions, which is often a result of the nutrient-rich ash that volcanoes deposit. This fertility contributes to the high agricultural productivity of these areas, despite the risks posed by volcanic activity.

💡Krakatau

Krakatau is a volcanic island in Indonesia that experienced a massive eruption in the late 19th century, which had global consequences. The video script uses Krakatau to illustrate the dramatic impact of volcanic eruptions.

Highlights

The majority of volcanic activity in Indonesia happens in the Sunda Arc.

Volcanoes are created when tectonic plates move into each other, spread apart, slide against each other, or when one plate is forced below another.

Indonesia has more volcanoes than any other country, particularly in the Sunda Arc due to fast-moving tectonic plates.

Volcanoes kill people primarily through ash avalanches, not lava.

Volcanic ash mixed with rain can create dangerous mud rivers that flood surrounding villages.

Kawah Ijen volcano has a crater filled with the most acidic lake on Earth, caused by sulfuric gas deposits.

Local workers harvest sulfur from Kawah Ijen, earning about $20-$21 per day in dangerous conditions.

Mount Merapi, or Fire Mountain, has killed more humans than any other volcano due to frequent eruptions and dense population nearby.

Despite the dangers, millions live near Mount Merapi because the volcanic soil is incredibly fertile, providing excellent farming conditions.

Krakatau volcano's eruption in the 19th century was the most explosive in modern history, affecting global skies and killing tens of thousands.

Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru have deep religious significance for local communities, with annual offerings to the gods.

Mount Semeru is named after the mythical Mount Meru, considered the center of the physical and spiritual universes in several religions.

The rapid movement of tectonic plates in Indonesia, at a rate of seven centimeters per year, results in frequent volcanic activity.

Volcanoes provide both fertility and destruction, creating a high-risk, high-reward living situation for local inhabitants.

Volcanoes in Indonesia are a significant part of local culture, economy, and religion, despite their inherent dangers.

Transcripts

(suspenseful music)

- These are all of the volcanoes in the world.

You've got this big strip here in Ethiopia,

a big cluster up in Iceland,

and a long strip down the west coast of the Americas.

But there's one spot that has more volcanoes

than anywhere else on Earth, right here in Indonesia.

And it's not even all of Indonesia,

this country of 17,000 islands.

It's really this belt right here.

This is called the Sunda Arc.

And it's where the majority of volcanic activity

in Indonesia is happening.

It's where the violence, the intensity,

the beauty of all of these blasts is taking place.

I want to show you some of the most striking volcanoes

on Earth, and I'm doing this

because I want to try to better understand

why they are so deadly and why millions of people

live right in the shadow of these sleeping dragons.

(suspenseful music)

Okay. Let's quickly go over why volcanoes exist.

Maybe you've heard this before, but I'm going to try

to explain it in a way that makes sense.

It's important to remember that the ground

under your feet is actually a giant plate

a hundred kilometers thick,

one of many plates floating around on molten lava.

They're all moving in certain directions

and at different speeds.

There are seven main plates on Earth

and a bunch of smaller ones.

And they're always moving.

When these plates move into each other, they make mountains.

When they spread apart, they make underwater volcanoes

that cool and turn into rocks and we call them islands.

When they slide against each other

they make terrible earthquakes.

And when they run into each other

and one gets forced below the other,

they make volcanoes.

- [Narrator] A whole series of volcanoes begins to pop up

along the edge of the continent, parallel to the trench.

- So the real reason why this one strip of land in Indonesia

has so many volcanoes is because this plate

is slamming into this plate at a rate

of seven centimeters a year,

which is one of the fastest movements

of plates in the world.

So you're getting a ton of this,

which results in a ton of this.

(exciting music)

If you zoom into one of these volcanoes,

you're going to see a lot of this dark green

around the volcano where no one lives.

But all of this, each one of these little dots,

are villages where tons of people live.

And they're right in the strike zone of this volcano.

Volcanoes kill people when they suddenly erupt,

but it's not the lava that kills them.

It's the ash.

This huge column of ash and gases first goes up

and then it eventually falls down.

As it falls it gains momentum on these steep mountain sides.

And eventually that will slam into villages

up to three kilometers in radius from the volcano.

If you were standing in the way of one of these massive

ash avalanches, you will die.

And then if it rains, it gets really bad,

because the ash and the rain make these horrifying

mud rivers that cut through the mountain

and flood villages all around the region.

Okay, before we go any further

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Thank you Morning Brew for sponsoring this video

and let's get back to volcanoes.

Every volcano has its own personality.

And I want to show you some of the most striking volcanoes

along this strip and in the process,

explain how and why humans live so close

to these sleeping dragons.

(exciting music)

First, let's talk about Kawah Ijen.

This volcano blew up really bad 3,000 years ago,

and left a one kilometer wide crater that is now full

of this bright blue, very acidic water.

The most acidic lake on Earth, because under the surface

there is a huge deposit of sulfuric gas

that is venting out of this crack in the earth.

All of this sulfur gas means that when this thing

erupts with lava, it burns that gas

and ignites it in this mesmerizing blue flame.

All of this gas also means

that there is some money to be made.

The locals have installed these ceramic pipes

to catch the gases and force it to condense into a liquid.

It flows down here to where it cools

and turns into a solid which can be harvested by locals.

My friend Christian is there right now,

covering the realities of this job.

I'm going to let him show you

what this work is actually like.

- Hey, Johnny.

So right now we are inside of Kawah Ijen, a active volcano.

And this crater is full of life.

You can see all the steam rising off of the water,

this insane plume of yellow smoke,

and this yellow smoke is what creates the sulfur.

And with me here are the bad-ass, hardworking dudes.

No other way to put it. They're literal superheroes..

- [Man] This here is Supano. What's up Supano?

- I've had this amazing opportunity to just pick his brain,

try to understand a little bit better

why is it that these guys are taking on

some of the most challenging work conditions

on planet Earth.

What is the heaviest weight that you'll take up the hill?

- 75 kilogram. - 75 kilograms.

I just tried 40. I could barely manage it.

I mean, you look at these guys,

they're not bodybuilders, but they're strong minded.

They're incredibly driven

and they've got a good purpose for it.

- How much money? For one kilo only 1,250.

- [Christian] So how much do you make at the end of the day?

- 300,000.

- If you were to convert that to you U.S. dollars

that's about 20 to $21 for the entire day's worth of work.

(exciting music)

- These workers make it into town

where they sell this sulfur to factories,

which mainly use it to bleach sugar so that it's white.

It's back-breaking, dangerous work.

Christian made a whole video from this mine

and the realities of this work.

I will link to that in the description.

Next up we have Mount Merapi or Fire Mountain.

This volcano has killed more humans than any other.

It erupts all of the time, like every few years.

Here it is erupting just last year.

This thing is happening over the course of five minutes.

This time-lapse was recorded by VolcanoYT and Frekom,

two different YouTube channels that we'll link to

in the description.

The reason why this volcano is so deadly

is because like I said before,

there are millions of people living around it.

And not just remotely around it,

like right up against the mountain.

Here's the volcano.

And these are all the villages right up against it.

Which raises an important question

I had going into this story,

which is why do so many people live here?

Like so many people.

The answer is that this is an amazing place to live.

(upbeat music)

Indonesia has mild warm weather.

It rains super hard for a few months

and that rain is effectively stored in these mountains.

And it provides water to these people throughout the year.

And then there's the fact that this is perfect fertilizer,

all mashed up and broken down,

ready to make this soil incredibly fertile.

This is some of the most fertile land on Earth.

You get three rice harvests from this soil every year

because the soil is like magic.

So yeah, the people living here are sort of

in a high risk, high reward situation.

They live on a sleeping dragon

that could wipe them out at any moment.

And yet, as long as it doesn't,

they have some of the best weather

and growing conditions on Earth.

Next up is Krakatau.

What you're looking at here is actually

like a graveyard of what used to be a big island.

It used to look a lot more like this,

but a hundred years ago, it blew up.

We think this is the most explosive volcano

in modern history.

10% of the world could hear the blast, it is so intense.

Tens of thousands were killed in the ash

and the ash exploded so high into the air

that all the way in Europe the sky was red and hazy.

Which has led some to speculate that it was this event

that inspired the red hazy look of this painting,

one of the most famous paintings in the world

called "The Scream".

(exciting music)

The volcano that grew out of Krakatau has kept erupting

over the years, breaking this island down further

and further until the whole thing just eventually collapsed

and caused a huge tsunami that killed hundreds.

Just a couple of years ago, the island went

from looking like this to this.

And today it's one of the fastest growing

volcanoes in the world, and will certainly

be back for more destruction.

Okay, the last one I want to talk about

is this set of volcanoes.

This one is Mount Bromo and this one is Mount Semeru.

First off, these two volcanoes are some of the most

stunning volcanoes I've ever seen in my life,

but they also represent the deep religious symbolism

that volcanoes have come to symbolize over time.

This mountain, Mount Semeru, is named after

the mythical Mount Meru,

which is a sacred five-peaked mountain

in the cosmology of three religions;

Hindu, Jain, and Buddhism.

It is considered to be the center of the physical

and metaphysical and spiritual universes.

The neighboring volcano is also deeply symbolic.

It's called Bromo, which in Javanese is the name

for Rama or the Hindu god of creation.

Every year, Hindus hike up this mountain

and make an offering of vegetables and plants and animals

to the gods embodied in this volcano.

(gentle music)

There are so many more volcanoes in Indonesia.

And my goal is to go to Indonesia with my camera

and actually photograph them for myself.

A lot of the footage from this video came from Christian,

who gave me a lot of his footage.

He lives in Indonesia and from other places.

I didn't go there, but I really want to.

I'm now deeply fascinated with volcanoes

because I've been deeply diving into plate tectonics.

So I hope you understand more about why volcanoes exist,

why so many exists in Indonesia,

and how the people cope living next to

these ticking time bombs.

What's so intriguing to me is that the volcano is a giver.

It gives abundance and fertility most of the time.

But sometimes it chooses to take away.

Okay. That's it.