SPACEPHOTOS

The Idjen volcanic plateau on the eastern end of the island of Java (Jawa) appears in this near-vertical color infrared photograph. Impressive Raung Volcano, pinpointed near the center of this photograph, has a very wide caldera surrounded by a grayish rim. The difference in color of the rim and the flanks of the volcanoes is caused by the rim’s lack of vegetation compared with the healthy and extensive vegetation on the flanks. Raung, standing almost 11 000 feet (3300 meters) above sea level, is the tallest volcano of this cluster. A well-defined radial drainage pattern emanating from the many volcanic peaks helps identify individual volcanoes. Although the valleys between the major volcanoes boast fertile, ash-enriched soil for agriculture, available land is very limited. The relatively small island of Java has approximately 110 million people, 60 percent of the entire Indonesian population. East across the Strait of Bali lies the western end of the island of Bali.