Ambrym

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 (aka Ambrin) was named by Captain Cook, who anchored off there in 1774.("ham rim" in the Ranon language).

Geography

Located near the center of the long Vanuatuan archipelago, Ambrym is roughly triangular in shape, about 50 km (31 mi) wide. With 677.7 square kilometres (261.7 sq mi) of surface area, it is the fifth largest island in the country.

The summit at the center of the island is dominated by a desert-like caldera, which covers an area of 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi).

With the exception of human settlements, the rest of the island is covered by thick jungle.

Volcanology

Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera, and one of the most active volcanoes of the New Hebrides volcanic arc.

The caldera is the result of a huge plinian explosion, which took place around 50 AD. Its explosive force is rated 6, the second highest in the Smithsonian Institution's Volcanic Explosivity Index ranks of the largest volcanic explosions in recent geological history.