Ambrym
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Ambrym
| Ambrym | |
|---|---|
 Ash plume from Ambrym Volcano, October 4, 2004 |
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| Elevation | 1,334 m (4,377 ft)[1] |
| Location | |
| Location | Vanuatu |
| Coordinates | 16°15′S 168°7′E / 16.25°S 168.117°ECoordinates: 16°15′S 168°7′E / 16.25°S 168.117°E[1] |
| Geology | |
| Type | Pyroclastic shield[1] |
| Volcanic arc | New Hebrides arc[1] |
| Last eruption | 2011 (ongoing)[1] |
Ambrym is a volcanic island in the archipelago of Vanuatu (formerly known as the New Hebrides). It is well known for its highly active volcanic activity that includes lava lake formation.
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Contents
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Etymology
Ambrym (aka Ambrin[2]) was so named by Captain Cook, who anchored off there in 1774. It means "here are yams" ("ham rim" in the Ranon language).[3]
Geography
Located near the center of the long Vanuatuan archipelago, Ambryn is roughly triangular in shape, about 50 km (31 mi) wide.[4] With 677.7 square kilometres (261.7 sq mi) of surface area, it is the fifth largest island in the country.
The summit at the center of the island is dominated by a desert-like caldera, which covers an area of 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi).[1]
With the exception of human settlements, the rest of the island is covered by thick jungle.[4]
Volcanology
Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera, and one of the most active volcanoes of the New Hebrides volcanic arc.
The caldera is the result of a huge plinian explosion, which took place around 50 AD. Its explosive force is rated 6, the second highest in the Smithsonian Institution's Volcanic Explosivity Index ranks of the largest volcanic explosions in recent geological history.[5]
The massive, 1900-year-old, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) × 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) caldera is the site of two active volcanic cones, Benbow and Marum (also spelled Maroum).[1]
While at higher elevations cinder cones predominate, the western tip of the island is characterized by a series of basaltic tuff rings, of which the largest is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in diameter. These were produced by phreatic eruptions when magma contacted the water table and water-saturated sediments along the coast.[6]
Several times per century, Ambrym volcano had destructive eruptions.
Mt Benbow last erupted in 1913, causing the evacuation of the population to Mele, near Port Vila on Efate.
Demographics
With the neighbour island of Malakula and a few smaller islands, Ambrym forms Malampa Province. Its largest settlement is the village of Eas. The population of 8,000 inhabitants [7] lives mainly off coconut plantations.
Languages
Like many islands in Vanuatu, Ambrym has its own Austronesian languages. In the north is the North Ambrym language, in the southeast is the Southeast Ambrym language, in the south Dakaka language, in the west Lonwolwol language, and in the southwest Port-Vato language. These are all spoken by a few hundred to a few thousand speakers each.
The kinship system used by natives of Ambrym can be modeled by a non-commutative group.[8]
Nearby small islands to the south
Towns and villages
- Fali - Craig Cove - Baiap - Sesivi - Emiotungan - Polibetakever - Lolibulo - Linboul - Liro - Loulep - Olal - Ranuetlam - Ranon - Port Vato - Lalinda - Toak - Fanla
Tourism
Tourists are attracted by Ambrym's unique features: the active volcanoes, the tropical vegetation, and the customs of the local villagers. They stay in traditional style bungalows, as there are no hotels on the island.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ambrym". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0507-04=.
- ^ "Ambrim: Vanuatu, name, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. http://geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-2964484&fid=4289&c=vanuatu. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- ^ a b "Ambrim". Destination Vanuatu, South Pacific. http://www.vanuatuparadise.com/NewFiles/anglais/iles/ambrym_ang.html. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- ^ a b "Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu". John Seach. http://www.ambrym.com/. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- ^ "Large Volcano Explocivity Index". geographic.org. http://www.allcountries.org/ranks/volcano_explocivity_index_ranks.html. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- ^ "Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu". Countries of the World. http://www.geographic.org/photos/volcanoes/volcano_photos_96.html. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- ^ 2009 National Census of Population and Housing, Vanuatu National Statistics Office
- ^ Feature Column from the AMS
External links
- North Ambrym language sample[dead link]
- South-East Ambrym Wordlist at the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database
- Video Shot Inside Marum Volcano
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