Context

Indonesia's Mount Semeru has erupted, pouring ash an estimated 5.6km (3.4 miles) into the sky above Java, the country's most densely populated island.

About

• Semeru, also known as "The Great Mountain", is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active.
• It is also one of Indonesia's most popular tourist hiking destinations.
• The volcano previously erupted in December, when about 550 people were evacuated.

Home to 130 active volcanoes 

• Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes.
• With a population of over 27 crores, Indonesia is reportedly home to at least 130 active volcanoes.
• The Ring of Fire is a belt of tectonic plate boundaries that circle the Pacific Ocean and are prone to frequent seismic activities.
• It is also known as Circum-Pacific Belt or Pacific Ring of Fire.
• This ring is said to be dotted with 75% of Earth’s all active volcanoes.
• The ring stretching nearly 25,000 miles apparently includes more than 450 volcanoes. According to seismologists, this belt stretches from the southern tip of South America, along the North America coast, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan, and into New Zealand.