Interesting Facts about Lake Toba, The World’s Largest Crater Lake and One of The Deepest Lakes in the World Located in North Sumatra, Indonesia

Today’s Google Doodle honors Lake Toba, or Danau Toba, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra on August 31, 2023! It is one of the deepest lakes on Earth and the largest crater lake in the world. A major volcanic eruption from the Toba Caldera thousands of years ago naturally produced Lake Toba. Along with its stunning natural scenery, Lake Toba is the location of a UNESCO Global Geopark. Lake Toba was named a UNESCO Global Geopark on this day in 2020.

30 Interesting Facts about Lake Toba

1. In North Sumatra, Indonesia, a supervolcano’s caldera is home to the sizable natural lake known as Lake Toba (also known as Danau Toba, Toba Batak: ᯖᯀᯬ ᯖᯬᯅ, Tao Toba).
2. With a surface elevation of approximately 900 meters (2,953 feet), the lake is situated in the northern part of the island of Sumatra and runs from 2.88°N 98.52°E to 2.35°N 99.1°E.
3. The lake has a length of about 100 km (62 miles), a width of about 30 km (19 miles) wide, and a depth of up to 505 m (1,657 ft).
4. It is both the largest volcanic lake in the world and the largest lake in Indonesia.
5. Twenty geoparks exist in Indonesia, and Toba Caldera was designated as one of the UNESCO Global Geoparks in July 2020.
6. An estimated VEI 8 supervolcanic eruption at Lake Toba, which took place 69,000 to 77,000 years ago and altered the environment, is located there.
7. Recent advances in dating techniques point to a more precise date of 74,000 years ago.
8. It’s the biggest known explosive eruption to have occurred on Earth in the previous 25 million years.
9. According to the Toba catastrophe theory, it had an impact on human populations globally; it is thought to have killed the majority of people who were alive at the time and caused a population bottleneck in central East Africa and India, which has an impact on the genetic makeup of the human population globally to this day.
10. This notion has been called into question by more current research, which has not discovered any proof of significant population changes around the world.
11. It is widely acknowledged that the Toba Caldera eruption caused a volcanic winter with a global temperature fall of 3 to 5 °C (5.4 to 9.0 °F), and up to 15 °C (27 °F) in higher latitudes.
12. Even at such a considerable distance, other studies in Lake Malawi in East Africa reveal substantial volumes of ash being deposited from the Toba Caldera eruptions, but scant evidence of a significant climate effect in East Africa.
13. Several significant hydroelectric projects along the Asahan River were completed in the 1980s to provide power for the industrialisation of the less developed areas of northern Sumatra. The lake drains east along the Asahan River into the Strait of Malacca.
14. At the mouth of the Asahan on the coast, a high-quality aluminum processing and smelting center was also completed in 1984.
15. About 73,700±300 years ago, the Toba eruption (also known as the Toba event) took place in the location of Lake Toba. It was the final of at least four eruptions that created calderas in this region; the first known caldera was built about 1.2 million years ago. This most recent eruption was the greatest known explosive volcanic eruption in the Quaternary, with an estimated VEI of 8.
16. Lake Toba was created when the caldera left by the ensuing collapse overflowed with water. A resurgent dome created the island in the middle of the lake.
17. There have also been smaller-scale eruptions at Toba since the big one some 70,000 years ago. The lava domes and caldera’s southwest edge are where the little Pusukbukit cone formed.
18. An absence of vegetation that could be the result of an eruption within the last few hundred years suggests that the most recent eruption may have occurred at Tandukbenua on the northwest caldera edge.
19. The Great Sumatran Fault, which runs through the heart of Sumatra in the Sumatra Fracture Zone, is close to Lake Toba.
20. Those who reside near Lake Toba predominately belong to the Batak ethnic group. The characteristic roofs of traditional Batak houses, which curve upward at either end like the hull of a boat, and their vibrant interior decoration are well known.
21. The transition point between the lake and Samosir Island is Parapat, which is situated on the edge of the lake.
22. A 48 kilometre route connects Medan to Pematang Siantar on the Trans-Sumatran Highway, which is located around 173 miles from the town.
23. The distance between Sisingamangaraja XII International Airport and Parapat is approximately 76 kilometers (47 mi).
24. Over 160 persons drowned in a ferry catastrophe that occurred on June 18, 2018, on Lake Toba. The MV Sinar Bangun was an erratic lake operator that capsized while carrying a large number of people. 167 people lost their lives in the event, and numerous others suffered injuries.
25. Initial studies revealed that there were abnormalities in the vessel’s functioning. The primary factors contributing to the accident were determined to be ignoring the vessel’s overload and operating in adverse weather.
26. According to the folktale The Origin of Lake Toba, there was once a fisherman who caught a golden fish in the lake. Samosir Island is thought to be the son of the golden fish.
27. Lake Toba was formed more than 74,000 years ago by the eruption of the Toba Caldera. The volcano’s magma chamber collapsed as a result of the mega-eruption, eventually forming the island that is now known as Samosir. There are various Indigenous ethnic communities living on the island, which is a popular tourist attraction.
28. The indigenous Batak Toba people, who originally inhabited the lake, must also be honored as part of the celebration of Lake Toba. They draw curious tourists from far and wide to their traditional towns, which are filled with local marketplaces and amazing homes. Authentic wood carving souvenirs and traditional dancing, such as the Tor-Tor, are frequently seen in the villages.
29. For its variety of outdoor activities and spectacular natural beauty, Lake Toba is a popular tourist destination. While those who enjoy the sea can unwind on the beaches or kayak through the lake, those who are not afraid of heights can go paragliding while they are at Huta Ginjang. Also rumored to be an exceptional experience that erases all anxieties is the neighboring Sipiso-Piso waterfall.
30. On August 31, 2023, Google featured a Google Doodle on its homepage to celebrate Lake Toba. On this day in 2020, Lake Toba was designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark.