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Babi Island (Flores)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Babi
Map
Geography
LocationSouth East Asia
Coordinates8°25′27″S 122°30′37″E / 8.4241°S 122.5103°E / -8.4241; 122.5103
Highest elevation351 m (1152 ft)
Administration
Indonesia

Babi Island (Indonesian: Pulau Babi, literally Pig Island) is an island located off the coast of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.

Layout

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Babi is a roughly circular island[1] less than 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) in diameter located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the north of Flores. Its maximum height above sea level is 351 metres (1,152 ft).[2] Its north end is bordered by a wide coral reef and faces the Flores Sea. Further south there is a small tidal flat where two villages were built, the majority-Christian Pagaraman to the east and majority-Muslim Kampungbaru to the west. At the southern end of the island, the barrier reef tapers.[3] It is administratively part of Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.[4]

History

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1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami

On 12 December 1992, an earthquake occurred near Flores at 05:29 UTC.[5] Within three minutes, at least one tsunami approached Babi Island[3] from the direction of the earthquake's epicenter to the north, while a second may have hit the southwest side of the island after refracting around the southern side. The tsunami waves reached a height of 7.2 metres (24 ft);[6] this was "unexpectedly large".[1] Between 263[6] and 700[5] of the island's 1,093 inhabitants were killed[6] and both villages were completely destroyed.[7]

Diving

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Babi is home to many diving sites. One, called The Crack, was formed during the 1992 earthquake. Located in a reef 20 metres (66 ft) below the water, the 70-centimetre (28 in) crack reaches a length of 30 metres (98 ft). Numerous forms of aquatic life, including eagle rays, hammerhead sharks, and spider crabs can be found there.[8] This spot also becomes one of the favorite place for travelers spend their time on snorkeling and diving.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Choi et al. 2007, p. 618.
  2. ^ USC, Flores Indonesia.
  3. ^ a b Dudley & Lee 1998, p. 258.
  4. ^ NTT Government, List of Islands.
  5. ^ a b USGS, Significant Earthquakes.
  6. ^ a b c Bryant 2001, p. 158-160.
  7. ^ Choi et al. 2007, p. 628.
  8. ^ Zubi, Dive sites.

Bibliography

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  • Bryant, Edward (2001). Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-77244-0.
  • Choi, Byung Ho; Kim, Dong Chule; Pelinovsky, Efim; Woo, Seung Buhm (2007). "Three-dimensional simulation of a tsunami run-up around conical island" (PDF). Coastal Engineering. 52 (8). Elsevier: 618–629. doi:10.1016/j.coastaleng.2007.02.001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  • Dudley, Walter C.; Lee, Min (1998). Tsunami!. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-585-26569-8.
  • "Significant Earthquakes of the World". United States Geological Service. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  • "Daftar Pulau-pulau di NTT" [List of Islands in East Nusa Tenggara]. Government of East Nusa Tenggara. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  • Zubi, Teresa. "Dive sites in Flores, Indonesia". Starfish.ch. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  • "Flores Indonesia Tsunami Pictures". USC Civil Engineering Department. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
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