North Sumatra, Indonesia —(Map)
A volcano in Indonesia called Mount Sinabung erupted on Monday. It shot ash and smoke into the sky over 3 miles high. So far there are no reports of any injuries or deaths.
(Source: Pavel Kirillov, via Wikimedia Commons.)
Mount Sinabung is in Karo, on the island of Sumatra. The volcano was dormant for almost 400 years. “Dormant” means that it was not active and did not erupt. Then in 2010 it began to erupt. The first eruption was not that big, but in September 2010 it erupted again and shot ash almost 2 miles into the sky. Since 2010 it has erupted many more times. Around 30,000 people have had to leave their homes over the last eight years because of the volcano.
The explosion on Monday was so strong, it changed the way the top of the mountain looks. The ash and smoke have covered nearby towns. People have been told to stay indoors so that they don’t breathe the harmful air. The ash and smoke have also blocked the light, making the towns almost completely dark. Airplanes have been told not to fly over Indonesia because of the ash and smoke.
(Source: Nekomong, via Wikimedia Commons.)
Mount Sinabung is located in an area called the “Ring of Fire”. This is a large area in Asia where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common. There are many active volcanoes in Indonesia. Besides Mount Sinabung, two other Indonesian volcanoes are now erupting.
😕
This map has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.