Where is India’s only active volcano located?
a) Barren Island
b) Narcondam Island
c) Lakshadweep
d) Majuli Island
Answer: a) Barren Island
Explanation
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Barren Island: Located in the Andaman Sea, approximately 138 km northeast of Port Blair, Barren Island is home to the only confirmed active volcano in India and South Asia.
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Eruptive History:
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The volcano’s first recorded eruption dates back to 1787.
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After remaining dormant for over a century, it erupted again in 1991 and has shown periodic activity, explosive eruptions, and ash emissions in recent decades (including major eruptive phases in 2005, 2017, and subsequent years).
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Geographic Feature: It forms part of the volcanic arc extending from Sumatra to Myanmar, created by the subduction of the Indian Tectonic Plate beneath the Burma Microplate.
Overview of Other Options
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b) Narcondam Island: A dormant volcanic island also located in the Andaman Sea, northeast of Barren Island. It is famous for its unique wildlife, including the endemic Narcondam hornbill, but has no recorded active eruptions in historical times.
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c) Lakshadweep: An archipelago in the Arabian Sea composed entirely of coral atolls, reefs, and submerged sandbanks, with no volcanic origin or activity.
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d) Riverine Island (Majuli): Located in the Brahmaputra River in Assam, Majuli is the world’s largest river island formed by river channel dynamics and sediment siltation, completely unrelated to volcanic activity.
