Unpad Professor: Volcanic Eruption Sediments Give Birth To Fertile Soil

JAKARTA - Indonesia is indeed vulnerable to volcanic eruptions. However, behind the eruption, contained blessings for the surrounding community.

Professor of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Padjadjaran Mahfud Arifin explained that deposits of volcanic eruption material in a certain period of time will experience weathering. This weathering will produce fertile soil so that it can be used as agricultural land.

"The minerals contained (in volcanic eruptions) will decay and release various nutrients that are fertile for the needs of plants," explained Prof. Mahfud as quoted from Unpad's official website, Tuesday, December 14.

This process is studied by Prof. Mahfud from the phenomenon of the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 ago. In 1983 or 100 years after the eruption of Krakatoa, he and a team of soil experts from the Bogor Agricultural Institute conducted a study on soil structure in an area buried by eruption material.

As a result, the Krakatoa eruption formed 25 centimeters of fertile soil. One of the characteristics of fertile soil is black.

The black color indicates that the soil contains nutrients released from the weathering of primary minerals. Nutrients in the form of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are minerals that plants need.

From the results of the study, it was concluded that to make the area of former volcanic eruption material deposits fertile, it took a long time to evolve. The formation of fertile black soil in the Krakatoa eruption area as thick as 25 centimeters requires weathering of up to 100 years.

"It is estimated that within 100 years, the eruption area of Mount Semeru can then become a very fertile area, with thick black soil and fertile for agricultural crops," said Prof. Mahfud.

However, in the short term, volcanic eruption material deposits can also be a blessing. These deposits are often mined into building materials.

It is not surprising that volcanoes are socioculturally very closely related to human activities. Volcanic slopes are often densely populated with residential areas.

"Although it often erupts, the community is always close because the land is fertile for agricultural development," he said.