Kelimutu

Geography & Climate

Kelimutu is located in Indonesia, within the Sunda Volcanic Arc of the broader Sunda-Banda Volcanic Regions. Situated at 8.77° S, 121.82° E in the Southern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a tropical climate zone. With a summit elevation of 1,639 meters above sea level, Kelimutu is a moderately sized peak that remains accessible to hikers and researchers for much of the year. The volcanic landform is characterized as a composite, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Kelimutu sits in a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another, creating intense heat and pressure that generates magma. Subduction zones are responsible for many of the world's most explosive volcanoes and deadliest eruptions. For communities in Indonesia near Kelimutu, this tectonic setting means the volcano is capable of producing powerful explosive eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that can threaten populated areas within tens of kilometers of the summit. The dominant rock type is andesite / basaltic andesite, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Kelimutu has 3 recorded eruptions in the geological database, spanning from 1865 CE to 1968 CE. The most powerful recorded event was an explosive event producing ash plumes up to several kilometers in 1938 CE, reaching VEI 2 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. These eruptions span roughly 103 years of volcanic history. The most recent eruption in 1968 CE places this volcano within the modern era of volcanological observation.

GVP Reference Summary

Kelimutu is a small, but well-known, Indonesian compound volcano in central Flores Island with three summit crater lakes of varying colors. The western lake, Tiwi Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People) is commonly blue. Tiwu Nua Muri Kooh Tai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched, or Enchanted Lake), which share a common crater wall, are commonly colored green and red, respectively, although lake colors periodically vary. Active upwelling, probably fed by subaqueous fumaroles, occurs at the two eastern lakes. The scenic lakes are a popular tourist destination and have been the source of minor phreatic eruptions in historical time. The summit is elongated 2 km in a WNW-ESE direction; the older cones of Kelido (3 km N) and Kelibara (2 km S).

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program