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