Kelimutu (pronounced ) is a

volcano A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Ear ...

, close to the small town of Moni in central Flores island in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. It is around to the east of

Ende, Indonesia Ende is the seat capital of the Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Ende is located on the southern coast of Flores Island. The town had a population of 87,269 residents at the 2020 census, divided administratively between four ...

, the capital of

Ende regency Ende Regency is a Regency (Indonesia), regency on the island of Flores, within East Nusa Tenggara Province of Indonesia. The capital is the town of Ende, East Nusa Tenggara, Ende. The regency covers an area of 1,946.29 km2, and it had a popula ...

East Nusa Tenggara East Nusa Tenggara ( id, Nusa Tenggara Timur – NTT; pt, Sonda Oriental) is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It comprises the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the nor ...

province. It has three volcanic crater lakes that differ in color. The science of the Kelimutu lakes is relatively well-known, and the changes in color and temperature are concluded to be related to volcanic activity and the resulting fluid flux at vents at the bottom of the lakes. The Lake colors periodically change due to adjustments in the oxidation-reduction status of the fluid of each lake, and also considering the abundance of different major elements, such as iron and manganese. Oxidation-reduction status depends on the balance of volcanic gas input and rainfall rate, and is thought to be mediated by the groundwater system in the volcano itself. The colors in the lakes change independently from each other, as each has its own unique connectivity to the underlying volcano's activity. Between January and November 2016, the colors of the craters changed six times. Although it is widely believed that the changes are unpredictable, it is more accurate to say that the lack of any regular monitoring of the volcanic system precludes scientists from having the data necessary to drive widely available predictive models.

Geological details

The volcano contains three striking summit

crater lake Crater Lake ( Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fill ...

s of varying colors. Tiwu Ata Bupu (Lake of Old People) is usually blue and is the westernmost of the three lakes. The other two lakes, Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) are separated by a shared crater wall and are typically green or red respectively. The lake colors vary on a periodic basis. Subaqueous

fumarole A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or other rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...

s are the probable cause of active

upwelling Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted surface water. The nut ...

that occurs at the two eastern lakes. The Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri has been a source of minor phreatic eruptions in historical time. The summit of the compound high Kelimutu volcano is elongated in a WNW-ESE direction; the older

cones A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

of Kelido and Kelibara are located respectively to the north and to the south. The scenic lakes are a popular

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

. Kelimutu is also of interest to geologists, because the three lakes have different colors, yet are at the crest of the same volcano.
Here's a link to the abstract
/ref> According to Kelimutu National Park officials, the colour changes as a result of chemical reactions resulting from the minerals contained in the lake perhaps triggered by volcano gas activity. However, it is more accurate to refer to the color changes as being driven by oxidation-reduction chemical dynamics. Kawah Putih lake in West Java, south of Bandung, is another crater lake in Indonesia with some similarities to the lakes at Kelimutu.

Tourism

In the early days of developing the local national park in the Kelimutu area, there were some disputes with local communities over the use of the resources. More recently, forest rangers have worked to develop better relations with nearby village communities and overall management has improved. Kelimutu is one of the mountains listed as a ''ribu'' in Indonesia which are mountains in Indonesia which are more than high. The area is said to have begun to attract attention after being noticed by a regional Dutch military commander, B. van Suchtelen in 1915 and became more well known after Y. Bouman wrote about the site in 1929. The closest airports are Maumere, and Ende. There are regular flights to Ende from Bali. The drive from Ende to Moni, the town at the base of Kelimutu where accommodation is available, takes about 3 hours, while from Moni to Kelimutu vehicle park, a drive, needs 45 minutes. Usually tourists sleep one night to catch sunrise at Kelimutu.

Local Culture

Kelimutu is sacred to the local Lio people, who believe the souls of the dead migrate here. Young people's souls go to the warmth of Tiwu Koo Fai Nuwa Muri (Lake of Young Men and Maidens), old people's to the cold of Tiwu Ata Bupu (Lake of Old People), and those of the wicked to Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake). Pork, betel nuts, rice and other valuable offerings are left on ceremonial rocks beside the lakes, amid the dancing of the Lio's annual 'Feed the Spirit of the Forefathers' ceremony, on August 14.

Gallery

File:Kelimutu crater lakes.jpg, alt=, Aerial view from the krater lakes, at the lower left is the Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People), at the upper cen Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri (Lake of Young Men and Maiden) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched, or Enchanted Lake) at the upper right. File:Kelimutu Crater Lake.jpg, alt=, Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri and Tiwu Ata Polo File:Tiwu Ata Polo (Kelimutu).jpg, alt=, Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched, or Enchanted Lake) File:Kelimutu 2008-08-08.jpg, Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri and Tiwu Ata Polo File:Kelimutulakes1.jpg, Tiwu Ata Bupu (Lake of Old People)

References

External links