Ijen
Stratovolcano(es) in Indonesia
Key Facts
Elevation
2,769 m (9,085 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano(es)
Location
-8.058°, 114.242°
Region
Sunda Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
The Ijen volcano complex at the eastern end of Java consists of a group of small stratovolcanoes constructed within the 20-km-wide Ijen (Kendeng) caldera. The north caldera wall forms a prominent arcuate ridge, but elsewhere the rim was buried by post-caldera volcanoes, including Gunung Merapi, which forms the high point of the complex. Immediately west of the Gunung Merapi stratovolcano is the historically active Kawah Ijen crater, which contains a nearly 1-km-wide, turquoise-colored, acid lake.
Kawah Ijen is the site of a labor-intensive mining operation in which baskets of sulfur are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of cones forms an E-W zone across the southern side of the caldera.
Coffee plantations cover much of the caldera floor; nearby waterfalls and hot springs are tourist destinations.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 27 years ago | Recent | Recently active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Sunda-Banda Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 263350
- •Evidence: Eruption Observed
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
Active fumaroles on the SE crater wall of the highly acidic Kawah Ijen crater lake, within one of the cones that formed in the 20-km-wide Ijen caldera. The 1-km-wide turquoise-colored crater lake is near the eastern rim of Ijen caldera and has been the site of phreatic eruptions in historical time and is noted for its sulfur deposits.
Photo by Tom Casadevall, 1987 (U.S. Geological Survey).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.