Delivered in a presentation meeting by Hosnul Wahid at Ijen-Geopark Bondowoso office. Before the great fracture occurred, the vast Ijen Caldera was once home to an ancient lake. At that time, the volcanic supply was increasing, yet the caldera had not split apart. The trapped water gradually formed a large and long-lived lake — what geologists now call the ancient lake of Ijen. Evidence of this lake still remains. Along the newer road near the current fault line, layers of white clay can be seen — the sediment left from that ancient body of water. Shells and mollusks from freshwater species have also been discovered there, a reminder that life once flourished on its shores. Around Belawan hot springs, near today’s Kalianyar village, traces of this prehistoric environment can still be found. The term “ancient” itself becomes a narrative bridge — not merely about age, but about geological storytelling. Depending…

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