Unusual Historic Crises and Calamities

Unusual Historic Crises and Calamities

Khalid Elhassan - April 16, 2020

Unusual Historic Crises and Calamities
Glowing lava dome during a 2007 Mount Kelut eruption. Natural Disasters in Indonesia

26. The Hyperactive Mount Kelut

Mount Kelut is one of the most active volcanoes on the island of Java, in today’s Indonesia. During the past millennium, it erupted more than 30 times. In just the 20th century, it went off four times, and its latest eruption occurred as recently as 2014. Throughout most of its history, Kelut had a massive crater, which filled with rainwater to form a beautiful lake.

The lake was an attractive vacation destination, but during eruptions, the lake’s waters frequently led to devastating mud flows, or lahars. In 2007, seeping lava piled into a big mound at the center of the crater, which displaced most of the lake’s water.

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