Licin: Ijen Volcano Complex

Mount Ijen is a stratovolcano located in East Java inside a complex with a caldera that is 20 kilometers wide.   It consists of a turquoise colored, acidic lake - which is considered to be the largest (1 km wide) highly acidic crater lake in the world.

There is an active vent by the edge of the lake which releases elemental sulfur.  The escaping gases from cracks near the crater rim produces a phenomenon called the "Blue Fire" or the "Blue Flame".  The phenomenon occurs when the sulfuric gas is ignited, at temperatures as high as 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit, as it condenses to a liquid.   To view the Blue Fire, we started our hike up to the crater, which has an elevation of 9,183 feet, around 2 AM.  After a challenging hike uphill, we descended a narrow, rocky path down to the crater rim.  The blue flame was certainly a magnificent sight to behold! 

The escaping sulfuric gases are channeled through pipes which results in condensation of molten sulfur.  The gaseous sulfur condenses into solid pieces that are bright yellow.  Miners break off these pieces and carry them in baskets up 980 feet to the crater rim and then 3 kilometers down the mountain for weighing.  The baskets can weigh from 75 - 90 kilograms.  It is a treacherous job that earns the miners about USD $20  per day.

Science Connection: Since Mount Ijen is most well-known for its sulphuric gases and sulphur mining industry, it would be an interesting case study for students when we learn about the Periodic Table of the Elements.  Students can explore the various uses of sulphur in every day products, as well as explore the process of change in phases of matter from a gas to a solid state.  Students can also investigate the formation of the crater lake over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to the water cycle.  

Math Connection: 

Surabaya: Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

Mount Bromo is an active volcano in Tengger National Park, located in East Java.   At, 7, 641 feet, it is not the highest massif but it is the most well-known and the most visited.  Mount Bromo is named after Brahma, the Hindu creator god.  This stratovolcano is located in the middle of the "Sea of Sand" comprised of dark gray ashes from previous eruptions, the most recent one taking place in January 2011.

To begin our trek to see the sunrise over Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru from the viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan, we awoke at 3:00AM and took a 45 minute jeep ride across the Sea of Sand.  Upon arriving at the viewing platform we were able to observe several constellations as we waited for the sunrise.  We spotted Orion the Hunter, one of the most recognizable constellations visible throughout the world.  At around 5:15AM, the sun began to peak out from the horizon and illuminated the Tengger massif.  From our viewpoint we were able to see the sulphuric gases emerging from both Bromo and Semeru.

Sunrise over Mount Bromo

Semeru volcano eruption

In the afternoon, we hiked 3 kilometers across the "Sea of Sand" and climbed up 150 steps to get an up-close view of the crater rim and the sulphuric gases.  

"Sea of Sand"

Science Connection:  Mount Bromo is an example of a stratovolcano.  During the hike we collected various samples of volcanic ash and cooled lava.  We also observed the erosion from lava flows along the rock formation.  Students can study the samples and make observations first hand about the properties of a stratovolcano.   We also noticed that the vegetation changed as we increased in elevation from Surabaya to the mountain village near Mount Bromo.  From photographs and knowledge gained in our environment unit, students can observe the alpine trees, low shrubs, and flowering plants like edelweiss and how they've all adapted to this high altitude environment.   

Edelweiss - found in Alpine biomes

Erosion from lava flow river

Evergreen tree

Math Connection: 

Mount Bromo is 2,329 metres (7,641 ft) it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most well known. For the scaling project for the upcoming school year based on the height we start thinking about the right scale to model the volcano. As we try our model to be not larger than 2 ft a possible scale factor could be 1/4000 which would create a model that is close to the height of 1.9 feet. However we also need to consider the width and the length of the volcano and how would that translate into the new model with the given scale factor. 

Recorded eruptions of Bromo volcano:  1804, 1815, 1820, 1822, 1825, 1829, 1830, 1835, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1865, 1865, 1866, 1867-68, 1877, 1885, 1885-86, 1886, 1886-87, 1888(?), 1890, 1893, 1896, 1906-07, 1907, 1907-08, 1909, 1910, 1915-16, 1921, 1922, 1928, 1930, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1972, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2000, 2004 and most recently in 2010. The group that will be responsible to create the model for Mount Bromo will also analyze and graph this data to find the slope, the correlation coefficient and the equation of the line that fits the the frequency.

Hiking up to the crater of Bromo

Yogjakarta: Prambanan Temple

Today we visisted Prambanan Plain, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Yogjakarta.  It is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, consisting of 240 original temples, of which only 8 main temples and 8 small shrines have been reconstructed and are on-view to visitors.

The inner zone holds the three main shrines dedicated to the Hindu gods: Brahma the creator; Vishnu the keeper, and Shiva the destroyer.  The Shiva temple is the largest of the three which contains 5 smaller chambers housing statues of other deities like Ganesha (Shiva's son) and Durga (Shiva's wife).  

Statue of Shiva

Brahma, Hindu God of Creation

Shiva's vehicle, Agni

Yogjakarta: Borobudur Temple

Today we visited the world's largest Buddhist temple, Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Magelang, an hour's drive from Yogjakarta.  The impressive structure is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist temple comprised of 9 stacked rectangular platforms, topped by a central dome.

Borobudur (NorthWest View)

The temple is adorned with 2,672 relief panels - which only a few of the 160 panels of the hidden foot level are visible to the public after a recent restoration by UNESCO.  The panels at the foot level tell tales of karma, with tales regarding gossip to performing acts of charity.  Reliefs on other tiers of the temple tell tales of daily life as well as tales of mythical spirits and Buddha.  The sacred temple also has 504 Buddha statues.

Science Connection: Borobudur is located near Mount Merapi, an active stratovolcano that is the most active volcano in Indonesia.  In October and November of 2010, Borobudur was greatly impacted by the volcanic ash from Mount Merapi eruptions.  In addition to deterioration by volcanic ash, earthquakes are also quite common in central Java, with an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude striking the area on May 27, 2006. Students can explore methods that scientists and engineers undertake to preserve the stones and strengthen the structure from future earthquakes.

Math Connection: For the scaling of the temple the following mathematical facts can be utilized: The foundation is a square, approximately 118 meters on each side and has nine platforms, 504 Buddha statues. The basic unit of measurement used in Borobudur’s construction was the tala, which is thought to be the length of a human face from hairline to chin. A survey conducted in the 1970’s revealed multiple ratios of 4:6:9, indicating that the architect had used fractal and self-similar geometry in the design.