Analysis of Composition; Topography of Volcanic Materials Erupted from Mount Sinabung, Karo Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Volcanic rocks and ashes erupted from mount Sinabung has been analyzed to understand the composition and topography of the materials contained within them. The crystalloid system of the samples were analyzed through X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), while the analysis of chemical elements and the microstructures were tested by performing the Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX), and the metal analysis was performed by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The samples collected were black volcanic rocks, red volcanic rocks and volcanic ashes. The analysis obtained from the analysis of the black volcanic rocks depicted four phases of materials which are Anorthite (87.11 wt.%), Quartz (2.26 wt.%), Cristobalite (7.72 wt.%), and Alunite (2.91 wt.%). Respectively, the crystalloid lattices of those phases were Triclinic, Hexagonal, Tetragonal and Hexagonal. Three phases of materials which are Anorthite (89.20 wt.%) with Orthorhombic lattice, Quartz (2.63 wt.%) with Hexagonal lattice, Cristobalite (5.56 wt.%) with Tetragonal lattice, and Alunite (2.52 wt.%) with Hexagonal lattice were obtained from volcanic ashes. Meanwhile, the analysis of composition measured by AAS indicated that the heavy metals were not found within the erupted materials.