YOGYAKARTA - Mount Tambora is one of the active volcanoes in Indonesia. The mountain with a height of 2,851 meters above sea level is located in the Regency of Dompu and Bima Regency, West Nusa Tanggara (NTB). The history of Mount Tambora is famous for its devastating eruptions that occurred in 1815.
This mountain has an amazing charm as an international-class tourism that is crowded with domestic and foreign tourists. Mount Tambora offers the beauty of its crater and spectacular natural screening. This mountain is also mostly explored by climbers or nature lovers.
Mount Tambora was officially designated as a national geopark area in 2017. In addition to its geological beauty, biological diversity, and cultural uniqueness, this mountain also has an interesting history to watch.
The eruption of Mount Tambora in April 1815 was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history and had a major impact worldwide. According to the Geological Agency, the eruption of Mount Tambora began with a loud roar on April 5, 1815 followed by ash rain.
The catastrophic eruption actually occurred on the 10th and ended on April 12, 1815. The volume of material issued reaches 100-150 cubic kilometers, with an eruption umbrella height estimated at 30-40 kilometers above the mountain. The eruption energy is equivalent to the strength of 171,428.60 times the atomic bomb.
Before it erupted, Mount Tambora had a peak as high as 4,300 meters. However, after the eruption, its height was reduced to just 2,850 meters. The floating stone and ash rained down on the area around Mount Tambora for weeks, even its ashes reaching South Sumatra and Kalimantan which are 1,300 kilometers away.
Smooth ash particles have remained in the atmosphere for several years. This situation has created a bright sunset and dusk view that is visible in London, England. Europe and North America experienced a longer winter, even snowing in the summer due to a decrease in temperature due to volcanic ash.
Three kingdoms in the area around the volcano, namely Tambora, Pekat, and Sanggar, were affected by the devastating eruption. Thick hot clouds spread, destroyed and buried almost the entire Tambora and Pekat areas before their residents could save themselves.
The impact of the eruption of Mount Tambora is felt worldwide. The eruptive material prevented sunlight from reaching the earth's surface, causing a significant drop in temperature. This period is known as a year without a summer (year without summer) affecting Europe and America. The eruption of Mount Tambora at that time was recorded as the most massive, reaching a scale 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI).
This condition causes many plants and animals to die. Farmers fail to harvest and farmers suffer heavy losses due to the death of livestock. Starvation is widespread. Survivors of the eruption of Mount Tambora also suffered, because the water they consume is polluted with toxic material from volcanic ash, which causes various diseases.
When the devastating incident occurred, it was reported that around 48 thousand people died in Sumbawa and another 44 thousand in Lombok. This incident also caused severe hunger. Residents were forced to eat dried leaves and toxic tubers, so tens of thousands of people chose to flee to Java, Bali, and South Sulawesi to avoid hunger.
This is the historical glimpse of Mount Tambora, which is famous for being one of the greatest eruptions in the world. This mountain is a witness as well as an influence in the development of civilization in NTB in the past. Currently, Mount Tambora is a popular destination for local and foreign tourists. Also read the list of the highest mountains in the world that are difficult to climb.
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