Ambrym#Volcanology
{{short description|Volcanic island in Vanuatu}}
{{Lead too short|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = Ambrym
| sobriquet =
| image_name = Ambryn sentinel-2.jpg
| map_image = Vanuatu - Ambrym.PNG
| map_caption = Map of Ambrym
| native_name =
| native_name_link =
| location = Pacific Ocean
| coordinates = {{coord|16|15|S|168|7|E|region:VU_type:isle_scale:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago = New Hebrides
| total_islands =
| major_islands =
| area_km2 = 677.7
| highest_mount =
| elevation_m = 1334
| country = Vanuatu
| country_admin_divisions_title = Province
| country_admin_divisions = Malampa
| country_largest_city =
| country_largest_city_population =
| population = 7,275
| population_as_of = 2009
| density_km2 =
| ethnic_groups = Ni-Vanuatu
}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Ambrym
| photo = Marum sept 2009.jpg
| photo_size = 180px
| photo_caption = Lava lake in Marum crater, Ambrym, in a photo taken 24 September 2009
| elevation_m = 1334
| highest= Ambrym Volcano summit
| prominence_m =
| prominence_ref=
| range =
| listing = Volcanoes of Vanuatu
| location = Vanuatu
| map = Vanuatu
| coordinates = {{coord|16|15|S|168|7|E|region:VU_type:isle_scale:1000000|display=inline}}
| topo =
| type = Pyroclastic shield
| age =
| volcanic_arc = New Hebrides arc
| last_eruption = 2022{{Cite news|title=Ambrym volcano|url=https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/ambrym.html|publisher=Volcano Discovery|date=19 Feb 2018|access-date=2023-06-07}}
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route =
|fetchwikidata=ALL
}}
Ambrym is a volcanic island in Malampa Province in the archipelago of Vanuatu. Volcanic activity on the island includes lava lakes in two craters near the summit.
Etymology
Ambrym (also known as Ambrin,{{cite web|url=http://geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-2964484&fid=4289&c=vanuatu |title=Ambrim: Vanuatu, name, geographic coordinates and map |publisher=Geographical Names |access-date=2011-07-29}} "ham rim" in the Ranon language){{cite web |url=http://www.vanuatuparadise.com/NewFiles/anglais/iles/ambrym_ang.html |title=Ambrim |publisher=Destination Vanuatu, South Pacific |access-date=2011-07-29 |archive-date=2012-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301055859/http://www.vanuatuparadise.com/NewFiles/anglais/iles/ambrym_ang.html |url-status=dead }} was allegedly named by Captain Cook, who is said to have anchored off there in 1774. In fact, his expedition never touched Ambrym.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}
Geography
Located near the center of the Vanuatuan archipelago, Ambrym is roughly triangular in shape, about {{convert|50|km|abbr=on}} wide.{{cite web|url=http://www.ambrym.com/ |title=Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu |publisher=John Seach |access-date=2011-07-29}} With {{convert|677.7|km2|mi2}} of surface area, it is the fifth largest island in the country. The summit at the centre of the island is dominated by a desert-like caldera, which covers an area of {{convert|100|km2|mi2}}. With the exception of human settlements, the rest of the island is covered by a dense jungle.
=Important Bird Area=
The western part of the island, comprising 17,605 ha of forest, together with gardens around habitation, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of Vanuatu megapodes, Tanna fruit doves, red-bellied fruit doves, grey-eared honeyeaters, cardinal myzomelas, fan-tailed gerygones, long-tailed trillers, streaked fantails, Melanesian flycatchers, buff-bellied monarchs and Vanuatu white-eyes.{{cite web |url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ambrym-west-iba-vanuatu|title= Ambrym West|author= |date=2021|website= BirdLife Data Zone|publisher= BirdLife International|access-date= 9 February 2021}}
Volcanology
File:Ambrym volcano.jpg from Ambrym Volcano, October 4, 2004]]
Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera, and is one of the most active volcanoes of the New Hebrides volcanic arc. The caldera is the result of a huge Plinian eruption, which took place around AD 50. Its explosive force is rated 6, the third highest in the Smithsonian Institution's Volcanic Explosivity Index ranks of the largest volcanic explosions in recent geological history.
While at higher elevations cinder cones predominate, the western tip of the island is characterized by a series of basaltic tuff rings, of which the largest is about {{convert|1|km|mi}} in diameter. These were produced by phreatic eruptions when magma contacted the water table and water-saturated sediments along the coast. The massive, 1900-year-old, {{convert|12|km|mi}} × {{convert|8|km|mi}} caldera is the site of two active volcanic cones, Benbow and Marum (also spelled Maroum). Mount Benbow was named after English Admiral John Benbow (1653–1702) by Captain Cook.
Several times a century, Ambrym volcano has destructive eruptions. Mount Benbow last erupted explosively in 1913, destroying the mission hospital at Dip Point. Volcanic gas emissions from this volcano are measured by a Multi-Component Gas Analyzer System, which detects pre-eruptive degassing of rising magmas, improving prediction of volcanic activity.{{Cite web|url=http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2009/EGU2009-5839.pdf|title=Real-Time Multi-GAS sensing of volcanic gas composition: experiences from the permanent Etna and Stromboli networks, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 11, EGU2009-5839}}
In March 2017, Google added Marum crater with its lava lakes to Google Streetview.{{cite web |url= https://blog.google/products/maps/journey-under-earths-surface-street-view/ |title= Journey under the Earth's surface in Street View |date= March 15, 2017 |series= Google Streetview }} Since the last fissure eruption on 16 Dec 2018, the lava lake has disappeared.{{Cite web|url=https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=257040|title=Global Volcanism Program | Ambrym|website=Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program}}
Demographics
With the neighbouring island of Malakula and a few smaller islands, Ambrym forms Malampa Province. The population of 7,275 inhabitants 2009 National Census of Population and Housing, Vanuatu National Statistics Office lives mainly off coconut plantations in the three corners of the island.
Languages
Like many islands in Vanuatu, Ambrym has its own Austronesian languages.{{Cite journal |last=Franjieh |first=Michael |date=January 1, 2019 |title=The languages of northern Ambrym, Vanuatu: A guide to the deposited materials in ELAR |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/ccd7612b-2c34-4061-ab6b-e7cf7733cd5a/content |journal=Language Documentation and Conservation |volume=13 |pages=83–111}}
In the north:
In the southeast:
- Vatlongos (Southeast Ambrym language)
In the southwest:
Towns and villages
=Southwest=
- Fali, Craig Cove, Baiap, Sesivi, Port Vato, Bwele, Lalinda, Tow, Yaotilie, Sanesup, Emiotungan, Maranata and Pelibetakever
=Southeast=
=North=
Tourism
Transportation
The island is served by two airports, Ulei Airport in the southeast and Craig Cove Airport in the southwest.
Popular culture
Ambrym is featured in the 2016 Werner Herzog documentary, Into the Inferno.
Episode two of the BBC documentary "Into the Volcano" hosted by Kate Humble was filmed on Ambrym in 2014.
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{cite gvp |vn=257040 |title=Ambrym |access-date=2023-06-07}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.allcountries.org/ranks/volcano_explocivity_index_ranks.html |title=Large Volcano Explocivity Index
| publisher=geographic.org |access-date=2011-07-29
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110724234441/http://www.allcountries.org/ranks/volcano_explocivity_index_ranks.html
| archive-date= 24 July 2011 | url-status= live}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.geographic.org/photos/volcanoes/volcano_photos_96.html |title=Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu
| work=Countries of the World |publisher=geographic.org|access-date=2011-07-29}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xwyvl |title=Into the volcano
|publisher=BBC|access-date=2024-02-26}}
}}
External links
{{Commons category|Ambrym}}
- {{cite web |url= http://dobes.mpi.nl/projects/ambrym/project/ |work= Documentation of Endangered Languages (DOBES) |title= West Ambrym |publisher= Max Planck Institute (MPI) }}
- {{cite web |url= http://www.sciencemovies.de/de/07_wer_spricht_noch_daakaka |title= Wer_spricht_noch_Daakaka |trans-title= Who still speaks Daakaka? |website= Science Movies |language= de |first= Soraya |last= Hosni |date= 2011 |series= Project |format= Video blog |location= Center for General Linguistics Berlin (ZAS) |publisher= Humboldt University of Berlin }}
- {{cite web |last= Parker |first= G.J |date= 1970 |url= http://language.psy.auckland.ac.nz/austronesian/language.php?id=120 |title= South-East Ambrym word list |publisher= University of Auckland |work= Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database |access-date= 2007-11-22 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130605132637/http://language.psy.auckland.ac.nz/austronesian/language.php?id=120 |archive-date= 2013-06-05 |url-status= dead }}
- {{cite web |website= Educated Earth |url= http://www.educatedearth.net/video.php?id=4845 |format= Video |title= Climbing A Volcanic Crater [Marum Volcano] |date= Sep 20, 2010 }}
{{Provinces and islands of Vanuatu}}
{{Authority control}}