Heritage Type
Volcanology.
Value
Geoheritage site of national significant.
Description
Volcanic ash from the Toba eruption is widely distributed across the Lenggong area, including Tasik Sandarhalu, Kampung Chepor, and Bukit Sapi. At Tasik Sandarhalu in Kampung Luat, the ash deposits are found around the lake margins as well as on the islands within the lake.
This lake represents the remnant of the ancient Chenderoh Lake that existed during prehistoric times.The ash, composed predominantly of rhyolitic material, is approximately 74,000 years old.
This event in Sumatera was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history and had a global impact, nearly driving early human populations to extinction, including the Paleolithic human community at Kota Tampan in the Lenggong UGGp.
The volcanic ash from this eruption was dispersed over a vast area, extending across Asia, India, Africa, and even as far as Antarctica.
Significant
Dating using the Ar⁴⁰/Ar³⁹ method indicates an age of approximately 74,000 years ago, corresponding to the timing of the last mega-eruption of the Toba volcano, with the thickest deposits outside Sumatra (around 10 m) occurring in the Lenggong UGGp.
Other Heritage
The discovery of Toba volcanic ash associated with Paleolithic artifacts at the Kota Tampan site (about 1 km west of Tasik Sandarhalu) indicates a clear relationship with the extinction of prehistoric human populations in the Lenggong UGGp at that time.