Mt. Bromo

Location: East Java, Indonesia-7.94 S. Latitude; 112.95 E. LongitudeTectonic Plates:Indo-Australian/EurasianMt. Bromo is a part of the Tengger Massif, which is a masive chain of volcanoes located in the Sunda Islands and it is also part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

Mt. Bromo

Stats: Width - 16km; Altitude - 7,641 ftMt. Bromo is part of five overlapping volcanoes that developed around 820,000 years ago. It is a stratovolcano which means it is a conical volcano that is made of hardened lava, tephra, and ash.

Status:It is an active volcano with its most recent eruption occuring on January of 2011. Currently it is in a restles state according to scientists.

Eruptions: The eruptions are a result of subduction which is when two plates collide with each other and deposit materials into the Earth's mantle. Mt. Bromo spews lava and dark ash. The eruptions can last months.

Effects: The magma from the eruptions adds land to their island. The ash covers everything and turns it black. Prolonged eruptions can block sunlight which cools the climate. The ash clouds from long lasting eruptions can cause breathing problems and alter aviation due to lack of visibility.

One nice thing about the ash is that it is a great fertilizer.

Cultural Significance: The name of the volcano comes from the name Brahma who is the Hindu creator god. An annual Hindu festival is held at the base of the volcano. On the 14th day of the festival, participants hike to the mouth of the volcano and throw fruits, vegetables, and animals into the volcano with hopes to please the Hindu God. Locals also believe that it was the site where a prince sacrificed his life to save his family.

Gavin Wennin

Interesting FactWay more people are killed by ash than lava.ExpertIn 1855, Luigi Palmeiri designed an instrument that measured small tremors in hopes of predicting eruptions. He witnessed Mt. Vesuvius erupt.