There are 17,000 active volcanoes in Indonesia above the water, so just think how many are underwater! When volcanoes underwater erupt, they cause earthquakes, which send out ripples all the way to shore. These ripples are actually huge waves which are also known as tsunamis. Tsunamis can threaten homes near the shore. Twenty years ago, a tsunami destroyed all the homes and killed all of the people in one of the stilted fishing village on the island of Flores. Many homes on Flores are weak and brittle so they break easily. When the tsunami strikes, homes near the water get carried away.
Climate change is also threatening seaside homes. One reason is because a warmer earth means more tropical storms which can blow houses down. Another reason is that the ocean is getting taller as glaciers melt. This causes sea level rise. Why does it rise? Imagine you have a glass full of ice cubes. The ice cubes float above the surface of the water, and when the ice cubes melt there is more water, so it rises.
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Fun Fact
- There are 22,000 islands in Indonesia
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A fun project to do at home
Q: Why does global warming cause sea level rise?
A: Our oceans have giant ice cubes in them called glaciers. As the earth warms up, the glaciers will melt. When icy glaciers melt back into the oceans, there is more ocean water, so the water level rises.
Try it yourself!
- Fill a glass with water and ice cubes. Make sure the ice cubes are peeping out of the water a bit!
- Carefully mark the level of the water on the outside of the glass with a piece of tape.
- Wait for the ice to melt.
- Mark the new water level with another piece of tape.
Did the level of the water change? It should be a little bit higher because the ice cubes were floating above the surface of the water, and when the ice cubes melt the water will rise.
How many islands (green) and underwater volcanoes (dark blue) can you find in this map of Indonesia?
