Mount Kelimutu
| Kelimutu | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,639 m (5,377 ft) |
| Listing |
List of volcanoes in Indonesia Spesial Ribu |
| Coordinates | 8°46′S 121°49′E / 8.77°S 121.82°ECoordinates: 8°46′S 121°49′E / 8.77°S 121.82°E |
| Geography | |
 Kelimutu
Kelimutu
|
|
| Location | Ende Regency, Flores Island, Indonesia |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Complex volcano |
| Last eruption | June to July 1968 |
Kelimutu (pronounced [kəliˈmutu]) is a volcano, close to the small town of Moni in central Flores island in Indonesia. The volcano is around 50 km to the east of Ende, Indonesia, the capital of Ende regency in East Nusa Tenggara province.The mountain has three volcanic crater lakes that differ in color, and as a result it seems quite mysterious to travelers, travel writers, and news reporters. There are relatively few volcanic lakes worldwide, but there do exist physical and chemical volcanic lake classification systems to guide the understanding of how these lakes function.
The science of the Kelimutu lakes is relatively well known, but more research is warranted. Lake colors periodically change due to adjustments in the oxidation-reduction status of the fluid of each lake, and also considering the abundance of different major elements, such as iron and manganese. Oxidation-reduction status depends on the balance of volcanic gas input and rainfall rate, and is thought to be mediated by the groundwater system in the volcano itself. The colors in the lakes change independently from each other, as each has its own unique connectivity to the underlying volcano's activity. Between January and November 2016, the colors of the craters changed six times. Although it is widely believed that the changes are unpredictable, it is more accurate to say that the lack of any regular monitoring of the volcanic system precludes scientists from having the data necessary to drive widely available predictive models.
The volcano contains three striking summit crater lakes of varying colors. Tiwu Ata Bupu (Lake of Old People) is usually blue and is the westernmost of the three lakes. The other two lakes, Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) are separated by a shared crater wall and are typically green or red respectively. The lake colors vary on a periodic basis. Subaqueous fumaroles are the probable cause of active upwelling that occurs at the two eastern lakes.
The lakes have been a source of minor phreatic eruptions in historical time. The summit of the compound 1639-m-high Kelimutu volcano is elongated two km in a WNW-ESE direction; the older cones of Kelido and Kelibara are located respectively three km to the north and two km to the south. The scenic lakes are a popular tourist destination.
...
Wikipedia