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