<![CDATA[The longer the time-depth considered, the more human history is dependent on thebeneficence of the planet we inhabit. The disastrous Aceh tsunami of 2004 stimulatedgeological research which has revealed similar mega-tsunamis resulting fromearthquakes of 9.0 magnitude or more every few centuries in the past. Even moredestructive to civilization and agriculture are the massive volcanic eruptions suchas Tembora (1815), which caused crop failures around the world, let alone in underresearched Indonesia itself. The new geological research strengthens a growing senseof Indonesian population history as one unusually exposed to the disruptive rhythm ofthe planet. In periods of relative quiescence on the ring of fire, such as the twentiethcentury, a benign climate and fertile volcanic soils can produce rapid population growthand development. But rather than forming a constant, this pattern appears to have beeninterrupted by periodic disasters. Interdisciplinary research is desperately needed tolocate past traumas, and relate them to what we know of the historical record. It mayalso reveal, on the positive side, that the Archipelagos celebrated human and biologicaldiversity owes something to the periodic disruption to agriculture-based civilization.Keywords: Natural disaster, Volcanic, Population]]>
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