While India has an active and famous volcano in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there are 7 others which you probably don't know much about.
Volcanoes are one of the most awe-inspiring and overwhelming phenomenons of nature. While there are 1,350 potentially active volcanoes in the world, there is only one in India. However, that is not the only volcano in India. There are others too, in states you had no idea about - the likes of Gujarat and Haryana. Here's a list of all 8 volcanoes located in different parts of the count
1. Barren Island, Andaman Islands
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Active since 2017, the Barren Island volcano is the only active volcano in India and has an elevation of 354 metres or 1161 feet. It is also the only active volcano along a chain of volcanoes spreading from Sumatra to Myanmar. Its first recorded eruption was in 1787 and it has erupted over 10 times since then with the most recent one in 2020. The 1991 eruption of the volcano lasted 6 months and caused substantial damage.
2. Narcondam Island, Andaman Islands
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Narcondam Island is a dormant volcano that stretches 710 metres or 2329 feet above the ground. Its last eruption was in 1681. It is also India's easternmost island. Its name is derived from a Tamil word meaning 'pit of hell'.
3. Deccan Plateau
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The Deccan traps are one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. Its layers come from volcanic activity over many thousands of years. When the volcanoes became extinct after the last eruption around 25 million years ago, what was left behind was highlands with vast stretches of flats on their tops. The hotspot that produced the features is hypothesized to lie under the present day Réunion island located in the Indian Ocean.
4. Baratang Island, Andaman Islands
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The other volcano known to be active in recent times are mud volcanos located at Baratang Islands. They have been active since 2003 and erupt sporadically. They are the only examples of mud volcanos in India. Its recent 2005 eruption is believed to have been triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
5. Dhinodhar Hills
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An extinct volcano in Gujarat, it last erupted eons back around 500 million years ago. It is now a popular tourist and religious spot.
6. Dhosi Hills, Haryana
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Even older, Haryana's Dhosi Hills erupted 750 million years ago. The hill has all the features that are seen in a perfect volcanic hill. It now has a temple, pond, fort and caves on the top and forest around it.
7. Tosham Hills, Haryana
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Another extinct volcano, the main Tosham hill erupted around 732 million years ago. The range is remnant of the outer ring of a fallen chamber of the extinct volcano.
8. Loktak Lake, Manipur
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India's largest fresh water lake is an ancient supervolcanic caldera. It last erupted about 100 million years ago.
Photos: Twitter, Wikimedia Commons
