Mount Sunda, was an ancient
volcano that once stood in
Priangan highlands in today's
West Java province, Java island,
Indonesia. The Sunda volcano existed during
Pleistocene age, before a violent
Plinian eruption caused its
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
to collapse. The volcano formed the northern ridge of the
Bandung Basin. The ancient volcano is the predecessor of today's
Tangkuban Perahu
Tangkuban Perahu (also Tangkuban Parahu) is a stratovolcano 30 km north of the city of Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, Indonesia. It erupted in 1826, 1829, 1842, 1846, 1896, 1910, 1926, 1929, 1952, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1967, 19 ...
, Burangrang, and Bukit Tunggul volcanoes.
The Sunda volcano was a
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...
and is estimated to have reached up to 3,000–4,000 metres (9,850–13,100 ft) above sea level during the
Pleistocene age. During this age it was one of the highest volcanoes in
Java.
Eruptions
Two large-scale eruptions took place; the first formed the northern ridge of Bandung basin, and the other (est. 55,000
Before Present) blocked the
Citarum
The Citarum River ( su, Walungan Citarum) is the longest and largest river in West Java, Indonesia. It is the third longest river in Java, after Bengawan Solo and Brantas. It plays an important role in the life of the people of West Java. It has ...
river, turning the basin into a lake known as "
the Great Prehistoric Lake of Bandung".
Naming
The mountain's name comes from the
Sanskrit "Chuda" which means white, referring to the mountain's top which was covered in
glacier in the past. The nomads of
India from the island of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
can see the mountain clearly from their location. Out of curiosity, they visited the mountain. There, they spread cultures and language. They refer to the local people as Chuda people. The word Chuda turns into Sunda from local pronunciation. The word Chunda/Sunda can also refer to the light skin of the
Sundanese people which lives in the region.
See also
* Lake Toba, Toba supervolcano
* Mount Tambora
* Mount Batur
References
Subduction volcanoes
Calderas of Indonesia
Volcanoes of West Java, Sunda
Pleistocene stratovolcanoes, Sunda
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