Sawu Island
Map of the islands of East Nusa Tenggara, including Savu.
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| Geography | |
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| Location | South East Asia |
| Coordinates | 10°29′S 121°54′E / 10.483°S 121.900°ECoordinates: 10°29′S 121°54′E / 10.483°S 121.900°E |
| Archipelago |
Savu Islands, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Area | 379.9 km2 (146.7 sq mi) |
| Highest point | 366 |
| Administration | |
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Indonesia
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| Province | East Nusa Tenggara |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 30,000 |
Savu (also known as Sawu, Sabu, Sawoe, Havu, Hawu, Hawoe) is the largest of a group of three islands, situated midway between Sumba and Rote, west of Timor, in Indonesia's eastern province, East Nusa Tenggara. Ferries connect the islands to Waingapu, on Sumba, and Kupang, in West Timor. It is also possible to fly to Savu from Kupang.
The Savu Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Sawu) include Rai Hawu (or Savu), Rai Jua and Rai Dana. The three islands are fringed by coral reefs and sandy beaches. Rai Hawu is the principal island. Rai Jua is a smaller island west of Rai Hawu. Rai Dana is a small, uninhabited island, situated 30 km south-west of Rai Jua. From April to October, deep ocean swells pound the southern coastlines.
The land is covered for the most part by grassland and palms. The climate is dry for much of the year because of the hot winds which blow from Australia. The main rains fall between November and March. Between 82% and 94% of all rain falls during the west monsoon with little or no rain falling between August and October. The mean annual rainfall for Savu Island is 1,019 mm. During the dry season many streams run dry and local inhabitants must depend on wells for their water supplies.
The Savu Islands are situated in a tectonic subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is moving northward, sliding under the Eurasian Plate. The islands lie on a ridge that was created by volcanic eruptions caused by the plate movement. Sediments carried into the Earth's crust heat up and rise in plumes of magma, which cool and solidify to form igneous rock. The Sumba Ridge is no longer volcanically active, however there are active volcanoes on the island of Flores, to the north.
The compression of the two tectonic plates is causing the Savu Islands to rise at a rate of about 1 mm per year. Occasionally, however, the tectonic plate suddenly slips a much greater distance, resulting in an earthquake. The 8.3 MwSumba earthquake struck 280 km W/SW of Raijua in August 1977. The shock triggered a destructive tsunami which swept across the coastal plain at Seba, reaching as high as the airport. No one was reported missing on Savu or Rai Jua. However, on the neighbouring islands of Sumba and Sumbawa, the death toll reached 180.Interactive map showing major earthquakes in East Nusa Tenggara between 1970 and 2005 (requires Flash Player).
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