By: Riley Davis

13 Details1. Mount Tambora was formed by the active subduction zone (a convergent

plate boundary where one plate subducts beneath the other) beneath it.2. Mount Tambora’s outburst in 1815 was the largest volcanic eruption in

recorded history of the 19th century. 3. 1816 became known as “The Year without a Summer” because of a huge

amount of dust that blasted into the upper atmosphere contributed to a bizarre and highly destructive weather event the following year.

4. About three years before the eruption, the mountain seemed to come to life. Rumblings were felt, and a dark smoky cloud appeared on top of the volcano.

5. The 1815 explosion of Tambora was heard 1,600 miles away.6. Mount Tambora was originally thought to be an extinct volcano.7. The eruption was thought to be a battle starting from the townspeople’s

perspective.8. Ash and Pumice found their way to neighboring islands as far as 10 miles

away!9. Some reports claim that the eruption trigged small earthquakes.10. Mount Tambora has caused more destruction than any other volcano. 11. Mount Tambora is located in the Ring of Fire.12. During the “Year without a Summer”, Temperatures dropped and caused

global cooling.13. A caldera, a large, roughly circular crater left after a volcanic explosion or

the collapse of a volcanic cone, formed after the eruption.

Where is it?Mount Tambora is found on the beautiful island of Sumbawa, Indonesia.

Mount Tambora

When it EruptedMount Tambora erupted on April 10, 1815. Ash flew everywhere! It reached far distances, too.

This map shows the estimated regions where ash had fallen during the eruption. The red areas show thickness of the volcanic ash fall.

Damage Caused

• The death toll was at least 71,000 people, of whom 11,000–12,000 were killed directly by the eruption.

• It is estimated that Mount Tambora stood about 12,000 feet tall before the eruption, and the top 4,000 feet of the mountain was completely demolished.

This is a painting of the natives on Sumbawa running away from Mount Tambora.

Benefits

In the summer of 1816, a group of friends were vacationing in Switzerland, but the cold and wet weather from “The Year without a Summer” kept them indoors. The group decided to see who could tell the best ghost story while they were inside. Mary Shelley won the best ghost story, and because of the weather that Mount Tambora caused, her ghost story, Frankenstein, was published in 1818.

What Kind of Volcano?

Mount Tambora is an active stratovolcano, which is also known as a composite volcano.

A stratovolcano is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash.

Mount Tambora

Made by: Riley DavisThanks to: www.knovio.com