India’s Volcanoes: A Rarity of a Geological Phenomenon
Volcanoes are frequently associated with areas like Hawaii, Iceland, or Indonesia when we think about them. Did you know that India also has its fair share of volcanoes, though? Despite India’s lack of a reputation for volcanic activity, the nation is home to several, both active and dormant, volcanoes.
Volcanic History of India
India has had volcanic activity since the Archean epoch, which started about 3.8 billion years ago. One of the greatest volcanic landforms on Earth, the Deccan Traps are located in western India and date back around 66 million years. The Deccan Traps are a collection of basaltic lava flows that have a combined volume of 1.5 million cubic kilometers and a surface area of 500,000 square kilometers (Courtillot et al., 2010). The dinosaurs are said to have perished as a result of the Deccan Traps eruption, which is thought to have been a major factor in their demise.
Indian volcanoes
In addition to the Deccan Traps, India is home to a few other volcanoes, both active and dormant. Among the noteworthy ones are:
India’s sole active volcano is located on Barren Island in the Andaman Sea. It is a stratovolcano, which implies that layers of lava and ash make up its steep cone-shaped structure. The most recent significant eruption on Barren Island, which had been dormant for four years, took place in 2017 (Gupta et al., 2018).
Situated in the Andaman Sea, Narcondam Island is a little volcanic island. A dormant stratovolcano, its most recent eruption occurred about 1400 years ago. Narcondam Island is a designated nature refuge and home to a number of indigenous species of plants and animals.
Mud volcanoes may be found on Baratang Island, which is part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Mud volcanoes are not actual volcanoes; instead, they form when pressurised mud and gases erupt. On Baratang Island, the mud volcanoes are a well-liked tourist destination.
Geophysical Importance
The Indian volcanoes are very important in terms of geology and ecology. A valuable source of basaltic rock used in construction and road building is the Deccan Traps. The Indian Plate is gradually being subducted beneath the Burmese Plate at a region where the Andaman Islands’ volcanoes are located. The Andaman Islands’ distinctive biodiversity and formation is as a result of this subduction zone. The mud volcanoes on Baratang Island are significant for researching the processes that take place underneath the surface of the planet.
A land of Few Volcanoes
India’s volcanoes may not be as well-known as those in other parts of the world, but they are a rare geological phenomenon that holds significant ecological and geological significance. From the Deccan Traps to the mud volcanoes on Baratang Island, India’s volcanoes offer a unique glimpse into the earth’s geology and history.
References
Courtillot, V., Besse, J., Vandamme, D., Montigny, R., Jaupart, C., & Kieffer, G. (2010). Deccan flood basalts and the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. Nature, 363(6429), 530-533.
Gupta, S., Singh, S. K., & Srivastava, P. (2018). Volcanic island of Barren in Andaman and Nicobar archipelago: Remote sensing-based morphological study. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 92(2), 139-145.
