The very first eruption in India’s only active volcano was observed in 1787. It was for six months at a stretch. However, there was no volcanic activity for more than a century. Again it spewed lava in 1991.
Andaman’s Only Volcanic Mountain Is Now Active
Barren Island, a volcanic mountain, is active again after a slumber of 150 years!
Ever since some eruptions have been observed every 2-3 years The last one was witnessed in January 2016.
According to the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), only smoky ash clouds were seen in the daytime. However, lava was observed once the sun went down. They could see lava being spewed every 5-10 minutes, running along the mountain slope.
Abhay Mudholkar and B. Nagendra Nath took their team of scientists to collect samples of the volcanic sediments. They also took a look at the water in the vicinity. Further, they collected a coal-like pyroclastic material for studying the impact of the eruptions on the environment.
History Of The Barren Island- India’s Only Active Volcano Mountain.
Barren Island is about 140 km away from Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Island.
As the name suggests, the place is barren with no vegetation or inhabitants. The place is selectively open for tourism. But only if you seek prior permission from the Forest Department of Port Blair.
Many adventurers prefer visiting this place for water sports. Scuba diving and also snorkeling are eagerly preferred.
Via – triponomics.com
It is believed that the earlier volcanic eruptions, dating back to 1991, did some apocalyptic damage to the animal species.
A scientific expedition in 1993 was done to study the effect of volcanic activity two years ago. It showed that the gas emissions reduced the fauna, a number of bird species, and also their population.
Amongst the sixteen bird species known to be inhabitants of the island, only six were noticed. A night survey showed the existence of only 1 rat species and 51 species of insects among 8 orders.
The recent volcanic activity didn’t have a major apocalyptic effect.
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