The Volcanic Explosion at Krakatoa

Krakatoa, also known as Krakatau in Indonesia, is a volcano on Rakata Island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was one of the deadliest in recorded history.

Krakatoa is located at the meeting point of the Australian-Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, in an area of significant volcanic and seismic activity. Within the last million years, the volcano formed a cone-shaped mountain out of flows of volcanic rock interspersed with layers of cinder and ash. The cone protruded around 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) over the water from its base, 1,000 feet (300 metres) below sea level. Later (perhaps in AD 416), the mountain’s summit was obliterated, resulting in a 4 mile (6 km) wide crater.

Parts of the caldera (a huge hollow-like depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses) rose above the ocean as four tiny islands: Sertung (Verlaten) to the northwest, Lang and Polish Hat to the northeast, and Rakata to the south. Over time, three more cones emerged, eventually uniting to form a single island. The tallest of the three cones reached a height of 2,667 feet (813 metres) above sea level.

Overview

The island of Krakatoa has one of the numerous volcanoes situated across the Pacific basin, where two massive tectonic plates collide.

The Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates continually collide, resulting in a great deal of volcanic activity. Geologists refer to this area as the Ring of Fire.

Krakatoa has erupted several times in history, but it is most known for the sequence of massive explosions that occurred on August 26th and 27th, 1883.

Origins of the name Krakatau

Krakatau is the Indonesian name for a volcano. The established spelling, Krakatoa, is usually assumed to have come from a typing error made by the British press when reporting the 1883 eruption.

The term Krakatoa refers not just to the volcano but also the collection of islands surrounding it, including the main island known as Rakata. One theory concerning the origins of the word “Krakatau” is derived from the noise generated by the white parrots that live on the island. Another suggestion is that it is derived from the Sanskrit word “karkata,” which means “lobster” or “crab.”

History

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa produced the loudest noise ever recorded in history, and this eruption was one of the deadliest. 

It was reported as far away as Perth, Australia (around 1,930 miles) and Rodrigues, near Mauritius – a staggering 3,000 miles from Krakatoa!

When the volcano erupted, it ejected scorching ash 50 kilometres into the air. The force was almost 13,000 times stronger than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

According to official statistics, 165 villages and towns in the Krakatoa area were obliterated, and another 132 were severely destroyed.

Nearly 36,500 people were killed, and many more were wounded, primarily due to the massive tsunamis that followed the explosion.

Krakatoa’s offspring

A plume of steam and debris started erupting from the collapsing caldera in 1927, startling several Javanese fishermen – Krakatoa had awoken after 44 years of dormancy. Within a few weeks, the rim of a new cone rose above sea level. Within a year, it had grown into a tiny island known as Anak Krakatoa or “Child of Krakatoa.” Anak Krakatoa has continued to erupt regularly, albeit gently and with minimal risk to the surrounding islands. The most recent eruption occurred on March 31, 2014.

Conclusion

Krakatoa had been inactive for nearly 200 years before it erupted in 1883, but previous records suggest that it had been known as the “Fire Mountain” by Javanese people for ages. Some believe it erupted catastrophically in the 6th century, triggering worldwide climatic changes.

Dutch sailors reported seeing Krakatoa erupting and scooping up enormous chunks of pumice in 1680, and evidence of lava flows from this period was discovered in the nineteenth century.