Indonesia’s Mt. Sinabung | 12 Mar 2021
Why in News
Recently, Mt. Sinabung, an active volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra island has erupted.
- Earlier, other volcanoes of Indonesia- Merapi volcano and Semeru volcano- had erupted.
Key Points
- Mt. Sinabung:
- Mt. Sinabung (2,600-metre) is located in Karo regency, North Sumatra.
- Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
- The volcano was dormant for 400 years before exploding in 2010.
- It exploded again in 2014 ,2016 and 2020.
- Ring of Fire:
- The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
- It traces boundaries between several tectonic plates—including the Pacific, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates.
- The abundance of volcanoes and earthquakes along the Ring of Fire is caused by the amount of movement of tectonic plates in the area.
- 75% of Earth’s volcanoes i.e. more than 450 volcanoes are located along the Ring of Fire. 90% of Earth’s earthquakes occur along its path.
