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Krakatoa, Indonesia
August 26-27, 1883
When this volcanic island exploded and collapsed into the sea, the world felt the effects for years.
What happened?
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Ash and steam had been hissing from Krakatoa since May when a series of cataclysmic explosions began on August 26.
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The final climactic blow the following day blew the island to bits. The blast was heard almost 3,000 miles away.
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When the tower of ash from the explosion collapsed, it sent 130-foot tsunamis surging onto neighboring coastlines. More than 36,000 people lost their lives in Java, Sumatra, and surrounding islands. |
Krakatoa had been rumbling for months. Finally it blew, sending a column of gas and ash 50 miles into the sky. When the ash column collapsed, it scorched everything in its path, blackening the sky for two-and-a-half days.
When a volcano releases that much ash and gas, the effects are global—and long-term. A massive eruption like Krakatoa’s can alter Earth’s climate for years.
Continue to Volcanoes and Climate. >>
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