| 1871 Ruang eruption and tsunami | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Volcano | Mount Ruang |
| Start date | March 3, 1871 |
| End date | March 14, 1871 |
| Location | Sangihe Islands, Molucca Sea |
| VEI | 2 |
| Deaths | 416 |
The 1871 Ruang eruption began on March 3, and ended on March 14 at the Ruang volcano in the Molucca Sea, Indonesia. The eruption triggered a locally devastating tsunami measuring 25 m (82 ft). It flooded many villages on nearby islands, killing some 400 people.
Eruption
The eruption on March 3 began when volcanic materials began falling from the summit and into the sea. German zoologist and anthropologist Dr. Adolf Bernhard Meyer, an eyewitness to the eruption described Ruang as a conical island rising above the sea. At the time of the eruption, the island was uninhabited. The residents of nearby Tagulandang island however, owned plantations on Ruang island. A strong earthquake and loud rumbling sound occurred at 20:00 local time. Based on examining historical observations of the eruption, Pranantyo and others interpreted it as the partial collapse of the eastern volcanic flank. Simulation of a flank collapse and the triggered tsunami indicate the volume of the slide at 0.1 km3 (0.024 cu mi) best fit the historical descriptions of the tsunami heights on nearby islands. [1] The Global Volcanism Program at the Smithsonian Institution assigned the eruption Level 2 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). [2] Eruptions continued on March 9–10 and 14. [3]
Tsunami
According to Dr. Meyer, the tsunami caused extreme devastation on Tagulandang island, located next to Ruang, very few homes survived the tsunami. [4] Waves of up to 25 m (82 ft) swept into the seaside settlements, and inundated 180 m (590 ft) inland. Two additional tsunami waves struck the coast shortly after. The tsunami destroyed the village of Bahhuas; at least 75 homes were destroyed. Three homes remained at the coast but only one was safe for use; the two other homes suffered major damage. Many homes were overturned or obliterated. A church on the island with thick exterior walls was also demolished. Debris of homes were deposited all over the former settlement. [3] [5]
See also
- 1741 eruption of Oshima–Ōshima and the Kampo tsunami
- 1888 Ritter Island eruption and tsunami
- 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami
- 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami
- List of tsunamis
- List of volcanic eruptions by death toll
References
- ^ Ignatius R. Pranantyo; Mohammad Heidarzadeh; Phil R. Cummins (2021). "Complex tsunami hazards in eastern Indonesia from seismic and non-seismic sources: Deterministic modelling based on historical and modern data" (PDF). Geoscience Letters. 8 (8): 20. Bibcode: 2021GSL.....8...20P. doi: 10.1186/s40562-021-00190-y. S2CID 233746800.
- ^ "Ruang". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ a b "Significant Volcanic Eruption". ngdc.noaa.gov. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ Rowley, G. D. (1877). Ornithological Miscellany. Vol. 2. London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 324–325.
- ^ "Tsunami Event Information". earthquake.usgs.gov. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 23 January 2022.