Kelimutu (mountain)
| Kelimutu | ||
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| height | 1639 m | |
| location | Flores Island , Indonesia | |
| Coordinates | 8 ° 46 '12 " S , 121 ° 49' 12" E | |
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| Type | Complex volcano | |
| Last eruption | 1968 | |
The Gunung ( indon. For mountain) Kelimutu is a 1639 m high volcano on the Indonesian island of Flores is a popular tourist destination, the different colors for its three crater lakes. The last known outbreak occurred in 1968.
The three crater lakes change their color independently of one another due to dissolved minerals. The color changes seem unpredictable; they can happen several times within a year or they can be absent for several years. The lake in the west is called Tiwi Ata Mbupu (in German: Lake of the Ancients) and is usually turquoise blue. The other two are named Tiwu Nua Muri Kooh Tai (German: Lake of Boys and Girls) and Tiwu Ata Polo (German: Enchanted Lake) and are usually green or red-brown. All lakes can also turn black. The chemistry behind it is now relatively well understood. Oxidation and reduction processes in the dissolved minerals in the water of the lakes are influenced by underground groundwater inflows. If there is a shift in equilibrium due to increased underground influx, the color changes.
The locals of the village of Moni, located at the foot of the mountain, believe that the souls of the deceased wander into the lakes, and a change of color means they are upset. From the village, the mountain can be climbed in about three hours or reached by bemo on a very winding road.
Web links
- Kelimutu (Berg) in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)