There is Indonesia picture

Baliem Valley, PAPUA

2009-10-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

BALIEM VALLEY FESTIVAL

In the central mountain of Irian Jaya, lies a grand valley with 72 km long and 16 - 31 km wide, inhabited by Neolithic warrior and farmer, the Dani Tribes and other sub tribes of Yali and Lani with their complex and primitive cultures, which looks more like "stone age" cultures.

Welcome to the beautiful Baliem Valley.

We will take you to experience an exciting adventure by exploring the Baliem Valley and the unique, primitive traditions and way of live of the tribes who live in the valley.Baliem valley it self is located in Wamena regency in Irian Jaya, West Papua which is well known as the home of the Dani tribes.To reach this area, you have to fly from Jakarta or Bali to Jayapura (the capital province of Irian Jaya / Papua), and then fly from Jayapura to Wamena. We can fly from Jakarta to Jayapura and then from Jayapura to Wamena in the same day.This valley has been the most visited part of the island, especially in recent years. The Dani Tribe speak related Papuan, or non - Austronesian language and live in the high central range of Papua Island, the most eastern province of Indonesia.Until the last decades the Dani tribes were some of the most isolated populations by swamps and mountains. They grew root crops, raised pig and used polished stone axes and adzes. They didn't make pottery (which means "sign of the modernity"), but otherwise their technology was very much like that of the Neolithic of the Old and New Worlds.

There may be 250,000 Dani Tribe living in the central mountains, many live scattered among the steep mountain slopes. The Baliem Valley has one of the highest densities of population in Papua Province. The Dani Tribe build their huts in a compound nicely express both environmental adaptation and Dani's character. The men's and women's huts have thick thatched roofs which keep rain, yet retain the heat from the earth, along with just enough smoke to discourage the mosquito.

The temperatures of the highland are ranged from 26 degrees Celsius at the day time and 12 degrees at night.The highlights of sightseeing are Dani Market in WAMENA Town, WAUMA Village and, which can be easily reach on foot or by car from Wamena. Farther out are AIKIMA, with its 250 years old mummy, SUROBA, JIWIKA and neighboring villages.With 2 hours climbing, you can see the salt spring where the Dani Tribe women make salt in primitive way fashion for centuries. Outer adventures are southward to KURIMA area, where the Dani and Yali Tribes' way of life mixed into a unique combination.

From: adventureindonesia.com

pictured by: flickr.com

10 Beautifull Waterfalls in Indonesia

2009-10-10T12:43:00.001-07:00

10 Air Terjun Indonesia

10. Srambang

Srambang Waterfall, constitutes the pearl of tourism which is concealed in the forest of Lawu mountain. It is a pity that-a11 these year, the beauty of this placer is only enjoyed by the animals, trees and stones in the forest. Once in a while a collector of forest product comes to visit it, but then they leaves it to the silence of the forest. This place had always been like that till one sunset in early April 1995, a miraculous thing happened. In a place about 1.500 meter from Srambang Waterfall, a ditch with the width of 20 meters, the depth of 10 meters and the length of 2.000 meters was formed, because the layer of the earth under it cracked.

Since then it has invited thousands of people to come and see the “Kali Tiban” (a river coming from nowhere). Consequently; Srambang Waterfall, which is only 25 kilometers from Ngawi, begins to get visitors, too.

9. Sedudo

Sedudo Waterfall located at Ngliman, Sawahan district. Reachable from Nganjuk about 30 km. The air is fresh and cool. This location is often visited by many of people especially during Suro, one of months of the Javanese year. An impressive waterfall of more than 100 metres high, Sedudo Falls - like many other falls, springs, and wells in Java is believed to be something of a fountain of youth. The district goverment and the public around, always held a traditional ceremony every Suro. According to them, Sedudo Waterfall was used to bath statue in Parna Prahista ceremony, then the water spattered to the body in order to get a safety and eternal youth. The traditional ceremony of taking up Sedudo sacral water as the sign to begin the public bathing is done by 12 girls with long hair and boys. The form this procession is taking a bath together in the pool under Sedudo waterfall, and held every Suro (the first Javanese month). This procession is led by the Regent of Nganjuk and followed by the local visitors, and the tourist who come from the whole Java. After taking a bath, still on the Sedudo area, the visitors are entertained with the traditional art named Jedor.

8. Coban Rondo

The Coban Rondo waterfall ( we called The Wana Wisata Air Terjun Coban Rondo ) is a beautiful waterfall and gives peacefull impression. The experiences never forget is The way to the waterfall, on the right and left side you can see the beautiful of aligment cypress and pine trees . The coban rondo waterfall was located 12 km from the Batu City, or to be precise in the Pandansari Village. Pujon. In the coban rondo you will be experienced by a waterfall with the height 60 m.
The Wana Wisata Air Terjun Coban Rondo region was the region that most was easy to be followed. The road to enter towards the location has been asphalted, so as really facilitated tourists if wanting to visit this waterfall. Around the waterfall of Coban Rondo, was filled pine trees and the mountain casuarina, made the atmosphere in this tourist attraction feel like cool. From this area , you can see also the panorama of Batu town .

7. Cibeureum

Avoiding the weekend walkers to the three beautifull waterfalls at Cibeureum a short way up the track leading to the summits of the Gede Pangrango, he took a less well-trodden route first along a scraggly golf course and then upwards. Behind it rose the sharp-angled, steep foothills of the legendary mountains. Lovely vegetable gardens spilling down to various rocky streams, and the ever present forests stretching widely upwards. Did he write: less well-trodden? more accurately: not much of a path at all. And quite a climb, espesially coming downwards again. sheltered by enormous tree ferns, palm trees, great giants of the jungle. Everywhere the purpleand white delights of impatiens platypetala.Not much sweat for the day was pleasantly cool and the narrow, sheer canyon sheltered from the hot sun. on the way down there was suddenly this pretty waterfalls emptying into a nice pool. yes! Throwing off his clothes he bathed, and stretched out under a fern tree splashed by warm sun rays. and dreamed...

6. Batanta

Batanta waterfall is one of the objects in Papua and the excellent tourism at Raja Ampat Islands.

After spending the time to dive into oceans, expedition team intends to see the beauty of nature in the various islands in the Raja Ampat. One aim is to visit waterfalls Batanta. After breakfast, the team entered the direct speed boat that will deliver to the destination. After about 30 minutes across the sea, speed boat arrived in a village near the estuary Arefi in the coastal area of Pulau Batanta. James, our guide, the boat slowly entered the river to the hinterland. On the left and right along the river is only visible through mangroves. Suddenly, a crocodile hiding behind the root of mangroves along the river.

5. Bantimurung

Bantimurung means a place for getting rid of sadness (membanting kemurungan). The spectacular waterfall is located at the valley of the steep limestone hill with its fertile tropical vegetation which makes this area an ideal habitat fir the types of butterflies and birds that are famous for their small number.
Before entering the waterfall location, visitors can see a statue of a kind of monkey, about 6 cm tall. This kind of animal can only be found in Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
From the waterfall, visitors can go up to see the lake on top, but there are many sharp corals on the way there. The lake is so blue with many flying butterflies around it.
The waterfall and surrounding areas is a popular picnic area and it is a pleasant area for roaming around, swimming and enjoying the attractive sceneries.

4. Sendang Gila

Which attracts many thousands of Indonesian and foreign visitors annually, is Mt. Rinjani national pasrk's best known attraction. Located at about 600 meters above sea level, the waterfall is an easy 20 minute walk down a graded trail and steps from Senaru Village, which is the main access to Mt. Rinjani National Park. A pleasant alternative return route winds along the edge of the steep valley, following the irrigation canal. For the more adventurous, the "second waterfall" Tiu Kelep, is another hour's walk upriver from Sendang Gila. The scramble over rocks through the tropical forest is rewarded by the beauty of the waterfall of Tiu Kelep you become a year younger! With access from the main road, the "third waterfall" Betara Lenjang is a true rainforest adventure strictly for rock climbers with local guide and equipment.

3. Grojogan Sewu

Located at Karanganyar Regency, Grojogan sewu is one of tourist program that called "INTANPARI" (Industri Pertanian Pariwisata) it means Industry Botani and Tourism. Grojogan sewu is located at Mt. Lawu (2636 meters), the location are 27 kilometers from Karanganyar Regency. Grojogan sewu means thousand waterfall. Although there is no thousand waterfal there.
You still can enjoy some waterfalls there. The highest waterfall at Grojogan sewu have 81 meters high from bottom to the top, the forrest sight make this waterfall have atractive power for tourist.

2. Sipisopiso

The Sipisopiso is a plunge waterfall in the Batak highlans of Sumatra. It is formed by a small underground river of the Karo plateau that hurls itself from a cave in the side of the lake Toba caldera some 120 meters (360 ft) down to lake level. This fact earns it the title for the highest waterfall in Indonesia.
Sipisopiso is a well-known tourist attraction and a nearby vantage point offers great vistas of the fall and the lake. Sipisopiso waterfall is located in the Tanah Karo regency, at the northernmost tip of the Lake Toba caldera, near the fishing village of Tongging. The closest municipality, about 25 kilometers away, is the town of Kabanjahe.

1. Madakaripura

Madakaripura Waterfall located in Sapih village, Lombang district, East Java, Indonesia. Not far from Mt. Bromo area. Madakaripura is a sacred visiting area comprising lines of waterfalls. its reaches a height of 200 meters from the bottom. this waterfall have related history with a great Prime Ministry, Gajah Mada, who strongly strunggled to unify the whole territory of Indonesia under span of control of Majapahit, and said as "the last residence for Gajah Mada". This spectacular waterfall lies hidden at the end of a deep valley in the foothills of the Tengger range. The water has cascades from the dense forest above. The primary attraction is its natural environment that is encircled by 7 waterfalls and caves. The available facilities are include: parking lot, food stalls, resting place and security post. The fatigue and exhaustion one undergoes from climbing the peak of Bromo, would immediately gone after getting a bathe with the holy Tirta Sewana so to continue the travel to other visiting points in Probolinggo area.

from:
www.petra.ac.id
www.kaskus.us
www.info4indonesia.com
www.eastjava.com
en.wikipedia.org
pictured by:
flickr.com
eastjava.com

Merapi Eruption II

2009-10-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

from: Graeme Wheller (Dr)
Consultant Geologist
Volcanex International Pty Ltd (Hobart, Australia)
www.vulcan.wr.usgs.gov

DEATH TOLL 31 AFTER VOLCANO BLOWS ITS TOP

The death toll from the eruption of Mt. Merapi, overlooking the city of Yogyakarta in densely populated Central Java, hit 31 as local authorities evacuated more than 5000 villagers from the slopes of the mountain.

Yogyakarta's main public hospital reported 17 people admitted there had died and 32 were on the injured list.
Another seven people were confirmed dead and 12 injured at a Catholic-run hospital.
Officer in charge of the command post coordinating relief operations, Lieutenant Colonel Suyatno, said another seven people died in Turgo village on the slopes of the mountain.
A further seven people with severe burns had also been admitted to a private hospital.
Unconfirmed local media reports said the death toll was as high as 34, with authorities saying five people were still unaccounted for.
Suyatno said 5681 people had been evacuated from seven village on the slopes of Merapi.
The evacuees were sent to five temporary camps, the largest in the village of Pakembinangun, where 2705 people were being sheltered. The conical 2911-metre volcano spewed heat clouds more than 20 times, some spraying out as six kilometers down the slope, along the Krasak and Boyong Rivers.
An official from the vulcanological office in Jakarta said most of the people killed lived on Boyong River. Merapi's last major eruption was in November, 1976, killing 28 people and leaving 1176 people homeless.

22 Nov 1994, Merapi Eruption

2009-10-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

From: Global Volcanism Network (vulcan.wr.usgs.gov)
Global Volcanism Network
Museum of Natural History, MRC 129
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560 USA.
pictured by Bagus Kurniawan

Merapi Eruption
One of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia

The following is a PRELIMINARY report of the 22 November 1994 eruption at merapi (Central Java, Indonesia), based on information received by the Global Volcanism Network on 23 November. Note that no direct information has been received from the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia, and this report is primary based on news sources which may not be reliable.

Merapi,
Central Java, Indonesia (7.54 S, 110.44 E)
All times are local (=GMT +7 hours)

A NOAA/NESDIS volcano hazards alert stated that on 22 November 1994, Merapi erupted and sent a plume to -10 kilometers. AT that time winds aloft were toward the w at 18 km/hour (10 knots). No satellite imagery of the plume was mentioned.
A united Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) report on 23 November stated that the volcano erupted at 1015, emiting a pyroclastic flow containing hot ash, gas, and other particles in suspension flow 6 kilometers down along the Boyong river in Turgo village, pakem subdistrict, Yogyakarta Province. At that time, 24 people were known killed, 95 were severely injured, 25 of 40 public works workers building a water treatment facility were still missing, while 15 were found dead. Evacuees totalled 6,026 from from the neighboring villages in the subdistrict of Pakem. Evacuation and emergency response measures had been undertaken by the local authorities and community members. Local volcanology officials had advised authorities and local people to remain on alert for 7 days.
A broadcast of the Jakarta Radio Republik Indonesia Network (in Indonesia at 1300) gave the time of eruption as 1030. The broadcast stated Merapi had been "....emitting hat smoke, sand, stones, and ashes, causing 5 people to suffer burns. Due to the eruption, the sky over Sleman and Magelang was covered with dark clouds and there was a shower of sand in the area." The report also stated that "lava flooding has occured in the area and is flowing southward." Another Jakarta Radio broadcast (at 1300) said from 2300 on 22 November through 1100 on 23 November, Merapi had not emitted "hot smoke" but that lava continued to flow. A 23 November Tokyo Kyodo broadcast (at 0140, in English) reported "Indonesia's team for disaster safety in Yogyakarta said ash rain has reached Temanggung, about 45 km NW of Merapi."
A UPI news report stated that, on the moring of 23 November, an official of the natural disasters office in Sleman, from serious burns. Many of those hospitalized were in serious condition, and more deaths were expeected. The report further stated that "...hundreds of homes have collapsed and thousands of cattle were buried by ash.
A U.S State Department dispatch on the morning of 23 November stated that, according to sources in the area, the eruption began at 1040 on 22 November, and was preceded by an initial venting of steam about 25 minutes earlier. The initial eruption sent a plume approximately 800 m into the air and scattered rock and gravel projectiles across the ashcone. The most serious damage, however, was done on the volcano's S side where the eruption sent flows of hot volcanic mud (lahar) and superheated steam cascading down the S slope inudating two villages. At this time, damage is believed confined to a radius of 6 kilometers from the volcano.
According to press accounts collected by the U.S. Embassy, the eruption has caused at least 16 fatalities, 11 missing, 300-plus injured, and destroyed hundreds of houses. Approximately 3,000 residents have reportedly been displaced from their homes. Most of the casualties occured when superheated gases swept through two small villages (Desa Purwobinangun and Desa Hargobinangun in the Sleman district) on the S slope of the volcano. The injured, dozens of them in serious condition, are being treated in area hospitals. The eruption forced the abandonment of the Plawangan Geophysical Station on the S side og the volcano and ignited -500 hectares of rainforest near Kaliurang, a hill station popular with tourists. According to press report, Kaliurang has suffered some damage from ash cover.
Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, sits immediately N of the large city of Yogyakarta; at least 50,000 people live adjacent to its SW slope. The stratovolaco has an exposed, summit lava dome, the source of abundant glowing blocks that continues to tumble down its SW slope. In historical time, instability of the growing dome has led to nuees ardentes that have caused many fatalities, disasters described in many popular books on volcanology.

Tambora Volcano (Part II)

2009-10-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

from: www.lombokmarine.com

The Raffles Report

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, later founder of Singapore, was at the time of the eruption serving as Lt. Governor of Java, based at his capital in Batavia. He had occupied this post since September 1911, a month after the British had wrested Batavia from control of Napoleon's France. Having heard of the great human distress and disastrous phenomena accompanying the outbreak, he gave orders that British residents gather information and report if possible to him on the effects of the eruption on April 1815, Lt. Owen Philips was dispatched with a shipload of rice for relief to the disaster zone. It is from Philips findings, and Raffles subsequent submission of his report to the Natural Historycal Society of Batavia in September 1815 that we learn after the-fact of the details of the eruption. It is important to note that no native accounts save one are known to survive, and the character and form of the eruption must be reconstructed "retroactively" working backwards from the Raflles report and the physical aftermath on the island.

The Year Without a Summer

2009-10-02T11:49:00.001-07:00

From:
Newhall and Daniel Dzurisin, 1988, Historical Unrest at Large Calderas of the World; U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1855.
Kious and Tilling, 1996, This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics: USGS General Interest Publication

Tambora Vulcano, Indonesia

Tambora is on Sumbawa Island along the east Sunda Arc. It lies some 300 kilometers behind the Sunda Trench, but the sub-duction zone in that area has a shallow dip and is less than 200 kilometers deep beneath Tambora (Alzwar and others, 1981). Tambora is a large stratovolcano composed dominantly of nepheline-normative, leucite-bearing trachybasalt and trachyandesite (Petroeschevsky, 1949; Foden and Varne, 1980; Alzwar and others, 1981; Barberi and others, 1983, Self and others, 1984). Before its eruption in 1815, Tambora might have been in repose for as much as 5,000 years (Barberi and others, 1983).
At least 6 months and probably about 3 years of increased steaming and small phreatic eruptions preceded the 1815 Tambora eruption, the largest in historical time (Stewart, 1820; Zollinger, 1855, Crawfurd, 1856, Sigurdsson and Carey, 1987). A moderately large explosive eruption occurred on 5 April 1815, from which ash fell in east Java and thunderlike sounds were heard up to 1,400 kilometers away. A still larger eruption occurred on 10-11 April, beginning as "there columns of fire rising to a great height" (Zollinger, 1855, p. 19) and ultimately ejecting about 50 cubic kilometers of magma (dense rock equivalent), (Self and others, 1984; Sigurdsson and Carey, 1987). The eruption left a deep summit caldera where previously a much higher stratovolcano had stood. Earthquake were felt as far away as Surabaya (500 kilometers), possibly reflecting the caldera collapse.
A small, postcaldera cone and lava flow. Doro Afi Toi, originated sometime between 1847 and 1913 (Pannekoek van Rheden, 1918; Neumann van Padang, 1951). A strong earthquake on 13 January 1909, with an epicenter near Tambora (8.5degreesS, 117.4degreesE), was "presumably connected with Tambora" (Koninklijk Magnetisch en Meteorologisch Observatorium te Batavia, 1911). Might the earthquake have occurred during formation of Doro Afi Toi?
The June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo was global. Slightly cooler than usual temperatures recorded worldwide and the brilliant sunsets and sunrises have been attributed to this eruption that sent fine ash and gases high into the stratosphere, forming a large volcanic cloud, 22 millions tons, combined with water to form droplets of sulfuric acid, blocking some of the sunlight from reaching the Earth and thereby cooling temperatures in some regions by as much as 0.5 degree.
A similar phenomenon occurred in April of 1815 with the cataclysmic eruption of Tambora Volcano in Indonesia, the most powerfull eruption in recorded history. Tambora's volcanic cloud lowered global temperatures by as much as 3 degree. Even a year after the eruption, most of the northern hemisphere experienced sharply cooler temperatures during the summer months. In parts of Europe and in North America; 1816 was known as "The Year Without a Summer"
Tambora erupted in 1815 killing 92,000 people making 1816 the year without a summer as the global climate effects were felt. Aerosols from the Tambora eruption blocked out sunlight and reduced global temperatures by 3 deg C. Europe missed a summer, and India had crop failures following the Tambora eruption. 100 cubic kilometers of magma was erupted. Ten thousand people were killed immedately from the pyroclastic flows and the eventual toll due to starvation and disease may have been as high as 117,000. The eruption caused a tsunami with a height of 10 meters. During 2004 a buried town was discovered near the volcano. It has been called the Pompeii of the East because of the preservation of human artifacts.

about Krakatau (Part II)

2009-10-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Krakatau became famous after the paroxymal eruption on August 27, 1883. The volcano erupted more than 18 cubic km of ash to a height of 80 km, and produced a tsunami as high as 30 m along the west coast of Banten and south coast of Lampung. The tsunami hit 295 villages and killer over 36,000 people.

2009 Eruptions

Eruptions are continuing at Krakatau volcano in Indonesia from a crater on the SW side of the cone in May 2009. A volcanic ash advisory from Darwin VAAC reported ash to 10,000 drifting NW of the volcano. On 6th May 2009 the level of alert at Krakatau was raised from waspada (level 2) to siaga (level 3), out of a maximum level 4. A renewed period of eruptions began at Krakatau on 19th March 2009, when 19 explosions were recorded. Between 1-25 April 2009 there have been 4060 explosions. Number of explosions earthquakes measured are 30 April 229, 1 May 324, 2 May 318, 3 May 250, 4 May 403, 5 May 371, and 6 May 132 (until midday). Shallow volcanic earthquakes, and tremor have been recorded. Visual observations from Rajabasa District in Sumatra in April reported ash emissions from 50-1000 m above the summit. From 1-24 April booming noises were heard fom Sumatra 174 times, 83 times from 25-29 April. No sounds were heard from Krakatau between 30th April and 6th May. Incandescent material and ash are being emitted to a radius of 500 m from the crater. Pyroclastic flows may reach a distance of 700 m from the crater. Ash is falling 5 km from the volcano. Request from the Indonesian Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation request people stay at least 2 km from the volcano. Local communities are still allowed to fih outside the 2 km danger zone radius. Commuities in the coastal province of Banten and Lampung are requested to remain calm and not fear a tsunami.

Krakatau Tsunami

2009-10-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

from:
Simkin and Siebert, 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Geoscience Press, Inc., Arizona, Published in association with the Smithsonian Institution, 349p.
Kious and Tilling, 1996, This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics:USGS General Interest Publication
pictured by: thelavazone.wikispaces.com

Tsunami, or giant sea wave, generated by the historic 1883 eruption of Krakatau, Indonesia. The largest wave, which reached heights of 40 meters (140 feet) above sealevel and killed over 34,000 people, stranded this ship 2 1/2 kilometers (1 1/2 miles) inland.
The 1883 eruption of Krakatau Volcano, located in the Sunda Straits between the island of Sumatra and Java, Indonesia, provides an excellent example of an eruption caused tsunami. A series of tsunamis washed away 165 coastal villagers on Java and Sumatram killing 36,000 people. The larger tsunamis were recorded by tide gauges as far away as the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula-more than 7,000 kilometers from Krakatau.

Tsunamis are seismic sea waves caused by earthquake, submarine landslides, and infrequently, by eruptions of island volcanoes........

About Krakatau (Part I)

2009-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

pictured by:rapidcow.com
From: Newhall and Dzurisin, 1988, Historical Unrest at Large Calderas of theWorld:USGS Bulletin 1855

Eruptive History

The Krakatau edifice grew as one or more stratovolcanoes of dominantly hypersthene-augite andesite composition. The geology of Krakatau has been described by Effendi and others (1985,1986), who identified five main evolutionary periods.
Period 1 was an early growth phase that included accumulation of lavas and pyroclastic. Period 2 was marked by caldera formation, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and partly welded tuffs (ignimbrites). The cones of Rakata, Danan, and Perbuwatan grew during the third period and were largely destroyed during the fourth period, which included the paroxysmal eruption of August 1883. Another growth phase (period 5) began by December 1927, when Anak Krakatau was first noticed in submarine eruption....

Seceral years of regional seismicity culminated in the famous caldera-foming eruption of August 1883 (Verbeek, 1886;Judd, 1888). Earthquakes were felt in west java and eastern Sumatra 5-6 years before the 1883 eruption, and in northern Australia in the 3 years before the eruption. On 1 September 1880 a strong earthquake damaged the First Point lighthouse on the west end of Java (70 kilometers south-southwest of Krakatau). more earthquake were felt at First Point on 9-10 May 1883 and at Katimbang (40 kilometers north-northeast) during 15-20 May 1883. Noneof the above-mentioned earthquakes is known to have been of volcanic origin and centered beneath Krakatau; more likely, they reflect a builddup and release of tectonic stress in the sunda Strait area.

A mild ash and steam eruption began from Perbuwatan on 20 May 1883, and similar eruptions continued for 3 months. At times several vents in eruption were in eruption simultaneously. On 11 August, vigorous ash-laden gas columns rose from the main crater of Perbuwatan, the former vent of Danan, and form the foot of Danan; in addition, "no fewer than eleven other foci of eruption could be observed on the visible portions of the island, from which smaller steam-columns issued and ejections of ash took place" (Judd, 1888, p.13). At least some of the early ash was basaltic, suggesting that intrusions (Francis and Self, 1983). The small eruptions intensified on 24 August 1883 and culminated in the famous, climatic explosion of 27 August 1883 (Verbeek, 1886; Judd, 1888; Simkin and Fiske, 1983).

Earthquakes and rumbling, not demonstrably from Krakatau, were noted in 1898 (Koninklijk Magnetisch en Meteorologisch Observatorium te Batavia, 1899). On 13 August 1913, a strong tectonic earthquake occurred in the Bantam-Krakatau region, damaging the First Point lighthouse. Fishermen where were on the islands of Krakatau reported that part of the caldera wall collapsed. They also reported that at 1000 hours a "column of fire" rose out of the crater, whereupon they heard a cannonlike sound and fled (Visser, 1920). There are no independent reports of eruptions of Krakatau in 1913, and we suspect that only a landslide occurred.

Eruptions from December 1927 to 1981, mostly of basaltic andesite, built the Anak Krakatau ("child of Krakatau") cone in the center of the 1883 caldera.

Carstensz Pyramid (Part III)

2009-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Gracefull wall of Carstensz Pyramid
The wall of the Carstensz Pyramid is about 500-600 meters (1640-1968 ft) high. In the upper part it is traversed by a gigantic ledge, in which to big culoars went. The bottom part of the well - approx. 300 m (984 ft) is "neatly" bowed at an angle of 10-15. The upper part of the wall is approx. 80 m (262 ft), and it is almost vertical. The peak crista of Carstensz Pyramid is largely rugged and exposed. Some climbers say that the wall of Carstensz Pyramid is a sharp as glass, and they are not far from the truth.
You can get much more information about climbing the Carstensz Pyramid by exploring the website www.carstenszpapua.com.

From: www.carstenszpapua.com

Carstensz Pyramid (Part II)

2009-09-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

Indonesian communists called it Puncak Jaya (the summit of victory), even though this name belonged to a different summit was considered to be the highest (Nga pulu). Yet another name for Carstensz Pyramid which is also often used, is Jaya Kesuma. This name is used in books published by Mapala University. However, these days Indonesia uses (rather inconsistently) both names of the mountain - Cartensz Pyramid and Puncak Jaya.

Carstenz Pyramid-Puncak Jaya (4884 m, 16023 ft), Puncak Mandala (4640m, 15223 ft), and Puncak Trikora (4730m, 15518 ft), are the three tallest and most well known mountais of west papua. Carstensz Pyramid is the tallest of them, and it belongs to the snow mountain. They are situated in the west of the central highland Jayawijaya.

The legendary tropical snow mountains are situated in the midlle of endless jungles in West Papua. They are the logical ending of Cembalo Plato. Out of the three mentioned mountains, only Cartensz Pyramid belongs among them. Although the massif of the snow mountains is not too high, and it lies 4 degrees south of the equator, it contains four relatively large glaciers. The largest of them is not the Cartensz Pyramid, but meren glacier which fringes the Nga Pulu peak (4862 m, 15951 ft). Some Indonesians call this peak Punck Jaya, because it was long considered to be the highest peak of Papua.

And where does the names snow mountains come from? there are not only glacier on the summits, but the reason is also the fact that snowing is not unusual there. Tropical Snow Storm often bring snow to areas situated as high as 4000 m (13123 ft).

Sun Rays (Matahari terbit di Ufuk Timur)

2009-09-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

The top of Mt. Ceremai
West Java

The top of the Summit Lawu,
Argo Dumilah, Central Java.

CARSTENZS PYRAMID (Part I)

2009-09-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Carstenzs pyramid 4884 m (16023 ft), is the highest mountain in Australi and Oceania. its the eight summit in the seven summit project (seven summit on seven tallest mountains on seven continents). This Indonesian province was called Irian Jaya till 2005. it lies in New Guinea, which is the world's second largest island.

Carstenzs pyramid, called Puncak Jaya by some, and puncaj Jaya Kesuma or only Jaya Kesuma by orthers, is located to th west of the central highland called Jayawijaya and Sudirman Mountains. It is the tallest mountain in Australia and Oceania. Technically this means that carstenzs Pyramid is THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN between America and the Himalayas. Officially it carries the name of its discoverer-of John Carstenzs, who was a Dutch sea-farer. In 1623 he brought news to Europe about the snowbound mountain right on the equator, but no one believed him. he was the first European to see Carstenzs Pyramid with his own eyes.

"Anyone who has once seen Carstenzs Pyramid longs for it like it was a beautifull woman. it seduces you while remaining mysterious. Once in a while it shows you all of its beauty, only to be covered in the veil of mist a minute later. itsprovocative but unattainable. it makes you tormented and restless, as it does us..." (Petr Jahoda-climber, Papua & Carstenzs Guide)

Cibeureum, The three beautifull waterfalls

2009-09-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Of his naturalist heroes. of Heinrich Kuhl (1797-1821) and johan conrad van hasselt (1797-1832), one time students of Professor van Swinderen at Groningen. They are said by the great Reinwardt, founder of the Kebun Raya at Bogor, to be the first Europeans to have reached the top of Pangrango. Great naturalists both, they collected many specimens until then unknown. (For a frog its of note that they were experts on amphibians and reptiles, too) Both men succumbed too young to tropical diseases and are commemorated on the same grave marker at the little burial ground for Europeans in the Bogor Garden.
Their resting place is right next to the Taman Teijsmann. A few years after Van Hasselt's death, their Pangrango climb - as often happens with mountaneering exploits - became a matter of great controversy. Junghuhn - yes, the same - claimed thet he himself was the first white man to master the mountain. As his proof he put forward the fact that the young naturalist had made no mention of a plant which occured only at the top of the mountain. and he, of course had seen it. Reinwardt and Teijsmann ardently deferended Kuhl and Van Hasselt's claim. The issue has not been resolved until today and probably never will be.
Here the dreamer waoke for his cheek was being ligthly brushed. Opening his eyes he beheld a fluttering of twenty-some butterflies (Papillio paris), some settled on his chest and others on the sun-spotted waterfall-moist soil and moss. Their dark-garden mossy wings with blur 'tails' and great orange and black eye-spots were a wonder to behold. Enough to forget all naturalist controversy.....

MOUNTAINEERING

2009-09-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

Merapi,
Yogyakarta.

Sunset at Hargo Dumilah,
Mt. Lawu, Central Java.

Night Climber

The summit of the Gede Pangrango

Alun-alun mandalawangi.
Mt. Pangrango.
West Java.