Question 1

True or false: The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora caused the 'Year Without a Summer' in 1816.

Accepted Answer

True. The eruption injected massive amounts of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, forming sulfate aerosols that reflected sunlight, causing global temperatures to drop and leading to crop failures and summer snow in 1816.

Question 2

True or false: Tambora is located on the island of Java in Indonesia.

Accepted Answer

False. Tambora is on Sumbawa, not Java. Java is home to other volcanoes like Merapi and Krakatoa.

Question 3

True or false: Tambora erupted again in 1883, producing a massive tsunami.

Accepted Answer

False. The 1883 eruption and tsunami are associated with Krakatoa, not Tambora. Tambora's last known eruption was in 1967.

Question 4

True or false: Tambora's 1815 eruption is the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history by volume of ejected material.

Accepted Answer

True. Tambora ejected about 160 cubic kilometers of material, making it the largest known eruption in recorded history, larger than Krakatoa or Pinatubo.

Question 5

True or false: Tambora is located on the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia.

Accepted Answer

True. Tambora is part of the Indonesian archipelago, specifically on the island of Sumbawa, east of Bali and Lombok.

Question 6

True or false: Tambora's eruption in 1815 was the only volcanic eruption to cause global cooling.

Accepted Answer

False. Other eruptions like Krakatoa (1883) and Pinatubo (1991) also caused measurable global cooling. Tambora's was the most significant.

Question 7

True or false: Before its 1815 eruption, Tambora's height was less than 2,000 meters.

Accepted Answer

False. Before the eruption, Tambora stood about 4,300 meters (14,100 feet) tall. The eruption removed the top, reducing its height to around 2,850 meters.

Question 8

True or false: Tambora's 1815 eruption created a caldera approximately 6 kilometers wide.

Accepted Answer

True. After the 1815 eruption, Tambora's summit collapsed, forming a caldera about 6 km in diameter. This is a well-documented geological feature.

Tambora Trivia Questions