Download LAKE TOBA

Dear Members
Norman Woods is organizing another SE Asian trip in 2015 on behalf of the Hong Kong Branch. All
previous trips that Norman has organized have been mining oriented. However, this has resulted in a
cap on the number of participants because of restrictions on numbers by the mining companies. Next
year, it is planned that the trip will avoid mining sites and focus on geology, in particular volcanism.
The destination for the 2015 trip will be Lake Toba on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Lake Toba,
which is one of the biggest lakes in SE Asia, is the ‘hole’ left behind following the eruption(s) of a super
volcano some 70,000 years ago. Whether there was anyone around at the time on the island of Sumatra
to witness the eruption(s) is unknown but if there were, they would have been incinerated or choked to
death. According to the experts, the eruption(s) put some 2,000 km3 of ash into the atmosphere and
resulted in a considerable drop in worldwide temperature. There are differing views about the global
effect of the eruption – some consider that it would have resulted in a large proportion of the humans
alive at that time being wiped out (probably as a result of starvation because of crop failures).
Why visit Lake Toba? – to visit the site of the biggest volcanic eruption in the last 25 million years – that
should be answer enough. The trip will include a visit to the hot springs on Samosir Island in the centre
of the lake and the Sipisopiso Waterfall where an underground river has cut through welded tuffs to
descend 120m into the plunge pool below.
LAKE TOBA
The trip will also take in Mt. Sinabung which, in comparison with Toba, is very active indeed. The latest
spectacular eruption was in February this year. We will visit the volcano monitoring station and have the
opportunity to study the monitoring records taken prior to the eruption that forewarned of the eruption
and resulted in the alert level being raised and people evacuated from around the volcano, thus saving
many lives.
MT. SINABUNG
IN ACTION –
FEBRUARY 2014
Details of the trip as follows –
Dates: Thursday 3rd to Tuesday 7th April 2015 (Easter) so little leave is required from work.
Cost: Not sure yet although it is expected that it will be in the range HK$6,000 to 7,000 including flights,
ground transportation, accommodation and some of the meals.
Deadline for Expression of Interest is Monday 25th November 2014. This may seem rather early.
However, the need to confirm the size of the party is that in some places accommodation is limited and
early booking is needed, especially as the trip will be over public holidays, and it is intended that all
participants will have their own rooms.
If you would like to join the trip please e-mail Norman Woods at [email protected] and copy
to the Branch Secretary, Lawrence Lee, at [email protected] by the deadline.