Mount Patuha
Encyclopedia
Mount Patuha is a twin stratovolcano
about 50 km to the southwest of Bandung
in West Java
, Indonesia
. It is located in the Bandung District
of West Java. It is one of numerous volcanoes in this area; others in the region include Mt Malabar
, Mt Wayang
, and Mount Papandayan
(placed on a warning alert in August 2011).
The summit of Mt Patuha contains two volcanic crater
s 600 m apart. The northwest crater is dry but the southeast one has a greenish-white crater lake
called Kawah Putih
(or white crater). There was formerly a sulfur
mine at Kawah Putih although production has now ceased. No detailed history of eruptions is known for Mount Patuha.
through the town of Ciwidey). The surface of the lake changes colour from blueish green to whitish green depending on the concentration of sulphur and the weather. At full moon, fluorescent green light appears from the (lake) crater. Pre-wedding pictures are frequently taken here due to the magnificent scenery.
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
about 50 km to the southwest of Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
in West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is located in the Bandung District
Bandung Regency
Bandung Regency is an administrative district located to the south, southeast and east of the city of Bandung. Parts of the Bandung Regency are effectively part of the Bandung Metropolitan Area. The Regency is part of the Indonesian province of West Java, about 75 miles south of Jakarta...
of West Java. It is one of numerous volcanoes in this area; others in the region include Mt Malabar
Mount Malabar
Mount Malabar is a stratovolcano, located immediately south of Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The profile is broad with basaltic andesite type of geological stone....
, Mt Wayang
Wayang-Windu
Wayang-Windu is a twin volcano that consists of Mount Wayang and Mount Windu. They are located just to the east of the town of Pangalengan in the Bandung Regency in West Java, Indonesia, about 40 km south of the city of Bandung. The area has been an active geothermal project...
, and Mount Papandayan
Mount Papandayan
Mount Papandayan is a complex stratovolcano, located in Garut Regency, to the southeast of the city of Bandung in West Java, Indonesia. It is about 15 km to the southwest of the town of Garut. At the summit, there are four large craters which contain active fumarole fields...
(placed on a warning alert in August 2011).
The summit of Mt Patuha contains two volcanic crater
Volcanic crater
A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a basin, circular in form within which occurs a vent from which magma erupts as gases, lava, and ejecta. A crater can be of large dimensions, and sometimes of great depth...
s 600 m apart. The northwest crater is dry but the southeast one has a greenish-white crater lake
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
called Kawah Putih
Kawah Putih
Kawah Putih is a striking crater lake and tourist spot in a volcanic crater about 50 km south of Bandung in West Java in Indonesia.Kawah Putih lake is one of the two craters which make up Mount Patuha, an andesitic stratovolcano . Mt Patuha is one of numerous volcanoes in Java. The Kawah...
(or white crater). There was formerly a sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
mine at Kawah Putih although production has now ceased. No detailed history of eruptions is known for Mount Patuha.
Kawah Putih
This crater contains a striking lake. The area was opened in 1987 as a tourist spot and attracts a considerable number of visitors. There is a good 5-kilometer access road from the main road (which, in turn, is the main road south from BandungBandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
through the town of Ciwidey). The surface of the lake changes colour from blueish green to whitish green depending on the concentration of sulphur and the weather. At full moon, fluorescent green light appears from the (lake) crater. Pre-wedding pictures are frequently taken here due to the magnificent scenery.