| Krakatau, is a volcano that lies in the Sunda Strait | | | | tsunamies (tidal waves) 10 meters high. The |
| of Indonesia, between the islands of Sumatra and | | | | waves could be still detected a day and a half |
| Java. It is also called Krakatoa. Much of the | | | | later when finally they rolled against the coast of |
| volcano is underwater. But some of it projects | | | | French. The devastation near Krakatau was of |
| above the water in the form of the islands | | | | incredible proportion. |
| Krakatau, Anak Krakatau, Lang, and Verlaten. The | | | | The little coastal towns of Anyer and Merak were |
| volcano rises 2,667 feet (813 meters) above sea | | | | obliterated. No one knows the exact toll of the |
| level. | | | | explosion in human lives, though a common figure |
| Krakatau is known for a destructive eruption in | | | | cited is 35,000. Eyewitness described a wall of |
| August 1883. The eruption killed about 36,000 | | | | water "taller than a palm tree" swepping away all |
| people on nearby islands. It generated huge | | | | in its path. In Teluk Betung on Sumatera, the |
| waves of up to 130 feet (40 meters) high. These | | | | funnel effect of a narrow bay lifted the waves to |
| waves, called tsunamis, washed ashore and | | | | a hight of 30 meters, carrying a Dutch gunboat |
| caused most of the deaths. Other people were | | | | more than 2 kms inland. When the waves had |
| killed by scalding ash and other material shot out | | | | subsided gone and the dust dispersed, |
| of the volcano. The eruption, heard nearly 3,000 | | | | three-quaters of Karakatu was gone. |
| miles (4,800 kilometers) away, had global effects. | | | | The peak of Rakata was still close to its original |
| Volcanic dust in the atmosphere caused | | | | height, but its northern half has disappeared, sliced |
| spectacular red sunsets over the next three | | | | off as if by a knife, leaving a sheer cliff hurtling |
| years in the Northern Hemisphere. The volcanic | | | | 300 meters to the sea below. Two islands, |
| dust may also have been the reason for a | | | | panjang and Sertung, has been toitaly re-shaped, |
| worldwide drop in temperature that lasted five | | | | while debris from the eruption merged to form |
| years. | | | | islands farther away. |
| At the early afternoon August 26, 1883 Krakatau | | | | Krakatau and its vicinity remained in a state of |
| exploded with a series of roars heard from | | | | geological flux for some time. The new island |
| Rangon - Burma to Perth - Australia. A pillar os | | | | disappeared within few years, but volcanic activity |
| ash and pumice towered 26 km into the sky. | | | | continue below the surface, and in January 1928 |
| Rock and dust rained over the surrounding region, | | | | the rim of a new crater arose close to where the |
| forming a blanket clound which turned day into | | | | vent of Krakatau first erupted. Since then Anak |
| night for 150 km in every direction. Ash from the | | | | Krakatau - child of Karakatau, has continued to |
| eruption gradually spread throughout the | | | | grow, and now stand 150 high. This "baby island" |
| atmosphere, creating a spectacular sunset across | | | | gives scientists a fascinating opportunties to |
| the world for 2 years. The finale came the | | | | observe the colonization of plant and animal |
| followoing morning, when a gap maw in the | | | | species on the new soil |
| earth's crust - hollowed out by explosion of 18 | | | | The 1883 eruption destroyed much of Krakatau |
| cubic km of ash rock - collapsed on itself. The sea | | | | Island. It also caused one of the volcano's |
| rushed in and began to boil immediately upon | | | | summits to fall below the water's surface, |
| contact witht he molten rock. throwing up | | | | forming a submerged caldera (crater). |