The legend of Lake Toba, Proven to be True in Science

Those who have visited Lake Toba, must have known the legend of the biggest lake origin in Indonesia. It is said, a woman incarnated a goldfish married to a male resident there. But with the condition, if you already have children, never tell the child that his mother is the incarnation of a goldfish. The man agreed then they got married. Some time later, the couple had a son. After growing up, the child helped his parents. One day the child was told by his mother to deliver food to his father who was working in the field. But, on the way to the field the child feels hungry, then consumes the food that should be for his father.

Arriving at the field, the father asked for the food, but it turned out that his son had already eaten it. The father is angry and cursing his child, "you are a fish child!" Hearing that the child cried and went home to his mother then asked his mother "is it true that I am a fish?" Hearing that, the mother cried, then there was a lightning and prolonged rain to form Lake Toba. Some time later Samosir Island was formed. In terms of science, Lake Toba is the result of natural processes namely the Toba Supervolcano eruption. The lake is located in North Sumatra Province, its position is almost right in the middle between the east coast and the west coast of North Sumatra. It extends from northwest to southeast to a length of 100 kilometers with a width of 30 kilometers, covering an area of ​​1,130 square kilometers.

The Toba Supervolcano eruption occurred around 74,000 years ago. The eruption of Mount Toba was named a supervolcano because the eruption level reached Level 8. Volcanic eruptions are categorized as supervolcanoes if the eruption spewed 2,500-3,000 cubic kilometers of volcanic material. After the last eruption formed the Toba caldera, rain water and also surface water filled the large valleys created by the eruption. Rain that continues to occur for tens of thousands of years after Mount Toba erupts, slowly filling the Toba caldera to become Lake Toba today. The legend of Lake Toba which states Lake Toba was formed because prolonged rain proved to be scientifically correct.