1883 eruption of Krakatoa

1883 eruption of Krakatoa
Photograph during the eruption in 1883
VolcanoKrakatoa
Start date20 May 1883[1]
End date21 October 1883 (1883-10-21) (?)[1]
TypePlinian eruption[2]
LocationKrakatoa archipelago, Sunda Strait, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia)
6°06′07″S 105°25′23″E / 6.102°S 105.423°E / -6.102; 105.423
VEI6[1]
ImpactOver 70% of the island of Krakatoa destroyed and collapsed into a caldera; 20 million tons of sulphur released; volcanic winter causes five-year average world temperature drop of 1.2 °C (2.2 °F)[citation needed]
Deaths36,417–120,000
The change in geography after the eruption
Lithograph of the eruption c. 1888

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa (Indonesian: Letusan Krakatau 1883) in the Sunda Strait occurred from 20 May until 21 October 1883, peaking in the late morning of 27 August when over 70% of the island of Krakatoa and its surrounding archipelago were destroyed as it collapsed into a caldera.

The eruption was one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history. The explosion was heard 3,110 kilometres (1,930 mi) away in Perth, Western Australia, and Rodrigues near Mauritius, 4,800 kilometres (3,000 mi) away.[3] The acoustic pressure wave circled the globe more than three times.[4]: 63  At least 36,417 deaths are attributed to the eruption and the tsunamis it created.

Significant additional effects were felt worldwide in the days and weeks after the volcano's eruption. Additional seismic activity was reported until February 1884, but any reports after October 1883 were dismissed by Rogier Verbeek's subsequent investigation into the eruption.

  1. ^ a b c "Krakatau". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. ^ Self, Stephen (1992). "Krakatau revisited: The course of events and interpretation of the 1883 eruption". GeoJournal. 28 (2). Springer Science+Business Media: 109. Bibcode:1992GeoJo..28..109S. doi:10.1007/BF00177223. S2CID 189890473. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Krakatoa" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 923.
  4. ^ Symons, G.J. (ed) The Eruption of Krakatoa and Subsequent Phenomena (Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society). London, 1888. 1888 – via Internet Archive.