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Gamalama

Stratovolcano · Indonesia · 1714m

Gamalama (Peak of Ternate) is a near-conical stratovolcano that rises abruptly NW of the city of Ternate, the principal port of the renowned spice islands of northern Maluku.  Three cones, progressively younger to the north, form the summit of Gamalama.  Several maars and vents define a rift zone, parallel to the Halmahera island arc, that cuts the volcano.  Eruptions from Gamalama, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, have been recorded since the 16th century.
Gamalama (Peak of Ternate) is a near-conical stratovolcano that rises abruptly NW of the city of Ternate, the principal port of the renowned spice islands of northern Maluku. Three cones, progressively younger to the north, form the summit of Gamalama. Several maars and vents define a rift zone, parallel to the Halmahera island arc, that cuts the volcano. Eruptions from Gamalama, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, have been recorded since the 16th century. · Photo: Photo by Jack Lockwood, 1980 (U.S. Geological Survey). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Indonesia
Region
Western Pacific Volcanic Regions / Halmahera Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1714m
Coordinates
0.810, 127.332
Last eruption
2018
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

Gamalama is a near-conical stratovolcano that comprises the entire island of Ternate off the western coast of Halmahera, and is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. The island was a major regional center in the Portuguese and Dutch spice trade for several centuries, which contributed to the extensive documentation of activity. Three cones, progressively younger to the north, form the summit. Several maars and vents define a rift zone, parallel to the Halmahera island arc, that cuts the volcano; the S-flank Ngade maar formed after about 14,500–13,000 cal. BP (Faral et al., 2022). Eruptions, recorded frequently since the 16th century, typically originated from the summit craters, although flank eruptions have occurred in 1763, 1770, 1775, and 1962-63.

From Wikipedia

Gamalama is a near-conical active stratovolcano that comprises the entire Ternate island in Indonesia. The island lies off the western shore of Halmahera island in the north of the Maluku Islands. For centuries, Ternate was a center of Portuguese and Dutch forts for spice trade, which have accounted for thorough reports of Gamalama's volcanic activities.

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Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1510~1561 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31561~1612 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 31612~1662 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 31662~1713 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 31713~1764 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21764~1815 · 9 eruptions · max VEI 31815~1866 · 24 eruptions · max VEI 31866~1916 · 12 eruptions · max VEI 21916~1967 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 21967~2018 · 17 eruptions · max VEI 315101612176418661967

Detailed timeline

  1. 2018VEI 1Observed
    2018-10-04 – 2018-10-06
    Summit crater
  2. 2016VEI 1Observed
    2016-08-03 – 2016-08-04
    Summit crater
  3. 2015VEI 2Observed
    2015-07-16 – 2015-09-08
    Summit crater
  4. 2014VEI 2Observed
    2014-12-18 – 2014-12-25
    Summit crater
  5. 2012VEI 1Observed
    2012-09-15 – 2012-09-17
    Summit crater
  6. 2011VEI 2Observed
    2011-12-05 – 2011-12-23
    Summit crater
  7. 2008VEI 1Geological estimate
    2008-05-10 – Ongoing
  8. 2007VEI 1Geological estimate
    2007-08-23 – Ongoing
  9. 2003VEI 2Observed
    2003-07-31 – 2003-10-02
  10. 1996VEI 2Observed
    1996-07-02 – Ongoing
  11. 1994VEI 2Observed
    1994-01-16 – 1994-10-15
  12. 1993VEI 2Observed
    1993-05-06 – 1993-05-21
  13. 1991VEI 1Geological estimate
    1991-06-15 – 1991-06-15
  14. 1990VEI 3Observed
    1990-04-25 – 1990-04-26
  15. 1988VEI 2Observed
    1988-02-12 – 1988-03-16
  16. 1983VEI 3Observed
    1983-08-09 – 1983-08-12
  17. 1980VEI 2Observed
    1980-09-04 – 1980-09-23
  18. 1962VEI 2Observed
    1962-12-31 – 1963-01-02
    East flank
  19. 1938VEI 2Observed
    1938-09-08 – 1938-09-08
  20. 1933VEI 2Observed
    1933-11-12 – Ongoing
  21. 1932VEI 2Observed
    1932-11-10 – 1932-11-13
  22. 1923VEI 2Observed
    1923-04-13 – 1923-05-06
  23. 1918VEI 1Observed
    1918-08 – 1918-09-04
  24. 1911VEI 1Observed
    1911-09-02 – 1911-09-06
  25. 1907VEI 2Observed
    1907-11-17 – 1907-11-20
  26. 1900VEI 1Geological estimate
    1900-05 – 1900-06-04
  27. 1898VEI 2Observed
    1898-05-14 – 1898-05-28
  28. 1897VEI 1Observed
    1897-09-07 – 1897-09-24
  29. 1896VEI 1Geological estimate
    1896-08-03 – 1896-08-04
  30. 1895VEI 1Observed
    1895-12-19 – 1895-12-19
  31. 1884VEI 2Observed
    1884-05 – 1884-05
  32. 1884VEI 1Geological estimate
    1884-12-08 – 1884-12-09
  33. 1871VEI 2Observed
    1871-08-07 – 1871-09-25
  34. 1868VEI 1Observed
    1868-03-13 – 1868-03-13
  35. 1868VEI 2Observed
    1868-11-13 – 1869-02-10
  36. 1864VEI 2Observed
    1864-01-20 – 1864-02-17
  37. 1864VEI 1Geological estimate
    1864-06-04 – 1864-06-25
  38. 1864VEI 2Observed
    1864-12-27 – 1865-01-02
  39. 1863VEI 2Geological estimate
    1863-05-01 – 1863-06
  40. 1862VEI 2Observed
    1862-07-15 – 1862-10
  41. 1860VEI 1Geological estimate
    1860-06 – Ongoing
  42. 1858VEI 1Geological estimate
    1858-11 – 1859-09
  43. 1849VEI 2Observed
    1849-11-27 – 1850-11-19
  44. 1847VEI 2Observed
    1847-02-07 – 1847-02-07
  45. 1847VEI ?Observed
    1847-09-07 – 1847-09-07
  46. 1846VEI 2Observed
    1846-05-19 – 1846-05-19
  47. 1845VEI 1Geological estimate
    1845-04-23 – 1845-09-03
  48. 1844VEI 1Geological estimate
    1844-03-24 – 1844-11-14
  49. 1843VEI 2Observed
    1843-04-10 – 1843-05-27
  50. 1842VEI 1Observed
    1842-10-06 – 1842-12-31
  51. 1841VEI 1Geological estimate
    1841-03-30 – 1841-11-20
  52. 1840VEI 3Observed
    1840-02-02 – 1840-09-29
  53. 1839VEI 2Observed
    1839-01-29 – 1839-03-26
  54. 1838VEI 2Observed
    1838-02-26 – 1838-05
  55. 1835VEI 2Observed
    1835-01-04 – Ongoing
  56. 1833VEI 2Observed
    1833-06-15 – Ongoing
  57. 1831VEI 2Observed
    1831-05-27 – 1831-06-27
  58. 1830VEI ?Geological estimate
    1830 – Ongoing
  59. 1821VEI 1Geological estimate
    1821-08-22 – Ongoing
  60. 1814VEI 2Observed
    1814-11-27 – 1814-11-28
  61. 1812VEI 2Observed
    1812-09-07 – 1812-09-07
  62. 1811VEI 2Observed
    1811-02-01 – 1811-05
  63. 1781VEI ?Geological estimate
    1781 – Ongoing
  64. 1775VEI 3Observed
    1775-08-20 – 1775-11-06
    Summit and NW flank (100 m)
  65. 1773VEI 2Observed
    1773-02-02 – 1773-02-07
  66. 1773VEI 2Observed
    1773-10-21 – 1774-01-22
  67. 1771VEI 3Observed
    1771-08-28 – 1772-10-09
  68. 1770VEI 3Observed
    1770-07-06 – 1770-12-09
  69. 1763VEI 2Observed
    1763 – Ongoing
    North flank
  70. 1739VEI 2Observed
    1739 – Ongoing
  71. 1737VEI 2Observed
    1737-03-10 – 1737-03-13
  72. 1687VEI 3Observed
    1687-05-10 – 1687-05-11
  73. 1686VEI 2Observed
    1686-09 – 1686-10-13
  74. 1676VEI 2Observed
    1676-12-31 – Ongoing
  75. 1659VEI 2Observed
    1659-06 – Ongoing
  76. 1653VEI 3Observed
    1653-12-31 – Ongoing
  77. 1648VEI 2Observed
    1648-06-15 – 1648-06-18
  78. 1643VEI 2Geological estimate
    1643-06-15 – Ongoing
  79. 1635VEI 2Observed
    1635-03-29 – Ongoing
  80. 1608VEI 3Observed
    1608-07-18 – 1608-07-19
  81. 1605VEI 2Observed
    1605-05 – Ongoing
  82. 1561VEI 2Observed
    1561-12-31 – Ongoing
  83. 1538VEI 3Observed
    1538 – Ongoing
  84. 1510 (±10 yrs)VEI 3Observed
    1510 – Ongoing

External links

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