Barren Island (Andaman Islands)

Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAR : Barren Island (Andaman Islands)

For other areas bearing the same name, see the [Disambiguationdisambiguation] page Barren Island

Barren Island (coordinates :[12°16′N 93°51′E]) is located in the Andaman Sea, one of the most easterly of the Andaman Islands. It is the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia. The island along with the rest of the Andamans is part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and lies some 135 km northeast of the territory's capital, Port Blair. The first recorded eruptions of the volcano dates back to 1787. Since then the volcano has erupted more than 6 times, most recently on May 2, 2006.

After the initial eruption in 1787, further eruptions were recorded in 1789, 1795 and the last confirmed one being in 1803-04 (another eruption is also believed to have occurred in 1852). After a gap of nearly 2 centuries, the island had another eruption in 1991 that lasted 6 months and caused considerable damage. There was another eruption in 1994-95 and the most recent one started in 2005. The latest eruption is considered to be linked to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. After the recent eruptions, the island which still sees the odd tremor is being promoted as a niche tourist destination as the tsunami battered territory seeks to bring in more revenues.

Location

Outline map of the Andaman Islands, with the location of Barren Island highlighted (red circle).

The volcanic island stands in the midst of a volcanic belt on the edge of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates. There are other extinct sea and land volcanos in the zone, and Narcondum, a volcano with reported activity. The peak of the volcano (a stratovolcano) rises to an altitude of 354 metres (1,161 ft), but most of the volcano is underwater (standing on the seabed 2250 meters below the surface). The island is 3 km long with a total surface area of 10 km²; the caldera of the volcano is 2 km wide.

True to its name, it is a barren area uninhabited by humans, though with a small population of goats. Also birds, bats like flying foxes and a few rodent species such as rats are known to survive the harsh conditions.

ISS image of Barren Island, taken in 2003

External links

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