1883 eruption

Many small earthquakes happened around Krakatau from the year 1877 to the year 1883, then finally in 1883 the volcano exploded. It was ten times the magnitude of Mt. St. Helens and 2,000 times the force of the largest nuclear explosion. It was heard over 2,700 miles away.  It destroyed half the island and caused unthinkable natural disasters. Ash was thrown into the sky and caused world wide temperature drop of around 3 degrees Fahrenheit.  There were a number of different characteristics including: Central vent eruption, Submarine eruption, Explosive eruption, Pyroclastic flows, Fumarolic activity, mudflow or lahars, tsunamis, debris avalanche, and eventually caldera collapse. The pyroclastic flows that were spread over 10 miles. The explosion was heard over 2,500 miles away. But the real problem was the water. This was the cause for almost all of the 36,000 deaths. It swept across Java and Sumatra, two gigantic islands and populated islands 295 towns and villages were destroyed. Water rose around the world. New York had an above average high tide an hour early. 

 

Wow

On the day of the first eruption ash was carried all around the world many people saw the sun and moon turn blue green and even pink. Some said it was a beauty. The eruption also however turned the sky black with ash. It also caused lightning, wind, and huge waves in the ocean to form near Krakatau. Dust, ash, and gases made it hard to breath all around the island.

Map of Krakatau

Maps of the Krakatau Island. These pictures gives you a good idea that the island is near many other islands. The large islands are Java and Sumatra, the   bordering islands of Indonsia. Java is an average of about 26 miles away from Krakatau. Sumatra is an average of about 25 miles away. Java has about 124 million inhabitants, while Sumatra has about 45 million people. Not too great for an island next to a volcano.

Basic information

The island krakatau is considered most likely got its name from sanskrit, but there are a few other ideas.  It comes from the word This volcano used to be a stratovolcano. Now it is a caldera that was half blown up. The child that emerged in the middle is a small, yet very active cinder cone. It formed on a subduction zone. The old volcano was about 2667 ft tall, (813m). It is located in the Sunda Straight in between the islands of Java and Sumatra on the west coast of Indonisia. The 1883 eruption caused lots of damage to the nearby islands. Fortunately for most, the real deadly volcano is extinct. It currently has a small child, the Anak Krakatau. It is dormant, but frequently erupts. The last eruption was on October 23, 2007 to August 30, 2008.

Lively?

I've already said that this volcano has been extremely catastrophic, but strangely enough there is a good amount of life on the island. Since almost no humans have been on this island, it has had time to develop a small, yet living rainforst. It has a small ecosystem. After the 1883 explosion, most of the island and everything on it was wiped out. But eventually it started replenish its self. First seeds were spread on the island by wind or water. Trees started to develop on the island, and some creatures started to come over. Bats, birds, butterflies and many other animals started to develop on the island. They ate fruit and spread seeds starting a cycle of a small ecosystem. Eventually it grew about 80 different plant species with a fair amount of animals.