Dieng Volcanic Complex (Indonesia)

Status Unknown Eruption 2018 2565m
Complex (Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km))

The Dieng plateau in the highlands of central Java is renowned both for the variety of its volcanic scenery and as a sacred area housing Java's oldest Hindu temples, dating back to the 9th century CE. The Dieng volcanic complex consists of two or more stratovolcanoes and more than 20 small craters and cones of Pleistocene-to-Holocene age over a 6 x 14 km area. Prahu stratovolcano was truncated by a large Pleistocene caldera, which was subsequently filled by a series of dissected to youthful cones, lava domes, and craters, many containing lakes. Lava flows cover much of the plateau, but have not occurred in historical time, when activity has been restricted to minor phreatic eruptions. Toxic gas emissions are a hazard at several craters and have caused fatalities. The abundant thermal features and high heat flow make Dieng a major geothermal prospect.

The volcanic terrain of the Dieng plateau, the "Abode of the Gods," contains the oldest temples in Java. The Dieng volcanic complex, seen here from the SE, consists of two or more stratovolcanoes and numerous small craters and cones of Pleistocene-to-Holocene age over an area of 6 x 14 km. Minor phreatic eruptions have occurred in historical time, sometimes associated with toxic gas emissions.

Photo by Sumarma Hamidi, 1973 (Volcanological Survey of Indonesia).

Last updated 2019-08-04 00:28:02