Information on the Krakatoa Volcano

The 1883 Krakatoa explosion was 10,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped at Hiroshima.

Krakatoa was an island in the Indonesian Sunda Strait until it was destroyed in a massive eruption that created tsunamis and lasting meteorological effects. Since its destructive eruption, a new active volcano has begun to rise above the ocean in the same location.

History

The Krakatoa volcano erupted with cataclysmic effects on August 26, 1883. This was the largest eruption in a series of eruptions that began in May of that year. The eruption destroyed most of the island of Krakatoa.

Effects

Krakatoa's eruption spewed so much material into the atmosphere that weather patterns were affected for five years, dropping the global temperature of the planet. The collapse of the island into the ocean created tsunamis that killed 36,000 people.

Considerations

The Krakatoa eruption released as much energy as a 200-megaton atomic bomb and even though it occurred over a century ago, the site is still active. In 1927, marine eruptions were observed at the site of Krakatoa, creating a new volcano, Arak Krakatoa or son of Krakatoa.

References

• National Geographic: Krakatoa Photos
• United States Geological Survey: 1883 Eruption of Krakatau
• San Diego State University Department of Geological Sciences: How Volcanoes Work
• History Magazine: Volcanoes

Resources

• History Channel: The Krakatoa Volcano