Krakatoa Eruption in Indonesia – Dawn of a Volcanic Winter?
Krakatoa has once again erupted on April 11, 2020. The risk of a more serious eruption extends into August 7th, 2020. Indonesia has over 130 active volcanoes, the most of any nation. Of course, there remains the legendary eruption of Krakatoa which culminated in a series of massive explosions over 26–27 August 1883, which were among the most violent volcanic events in recorded history. The eruption was estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, which was equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT or about 13,000 times the nuclear blast which destroyed Hiroshima, Japan.
The 1883 eruption, according to the official records of the Dutch East Indies colony, wiped out 165 villages and towns with an additional 132 which were seriously damaged. The eruption destroyed two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa. Since then, there was an eruption in the area during 1927 which built a new island at the same location, named Anak Krakatau (which is Indonesian for “Child of Krakatoa”). There have been small periodic eruptions ever since 1927, which included more recent eruptions in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. There was a major collapse in 2018 where the island fell from a height of over 400 m (1,300 ft) above sea level down to only 110 meters (361 ft). The December 22, 2018, eruption caused a deadly tsunami, with waves up to five meters in height making landfall. The last eruption thereafter was May 2019.
Krakatoa was known as “The Fire Mountain” during Java’s Sailendra dynasty. Surviving records have preserved accounts of seven eruptions beginning in 850AD, and followed by 950, 1050, 1150, 1320, and 1530. After that, there is an eyewitness account of an eruption in 1680.
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