MOUNT IBU (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, Mount Ibu erupted again, sending ash 4 km high, as streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater.

Mount Ibu

• Location: Mount Ibu is situated on Halmahera Island in North Maluku province, eastern Indonesia.
• Eruption History: It is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, with frequent eruptions recorded over the years.
• Recent volcanic eruption in Indonesia:

o Recently Sulawesi's Ruang volcano has erupted.

o Marapi volcano, one of Sumatra's most active volcanoes has also erupted recently.

• Mountain Semeru: Active volcano in East Java, Indonesia.

o It is located in a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian plate subducts under the Eurasian plate.

• Reason: Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

Indonesia

• About: Indonesia is a country located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

o It is an archipelago that lies across the Equator and spans a distance equivalent to one-eighth of Earth’s circumference.

• Archipelagic Nature and Size: Indonesia is the world’s largest island country with more than 17,000 islands. Its vast expanse covers a significant portion of the Earth's surface.
• Land boundaries: Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia
• Maritime boundaries with: Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Palau and Australia.