This Day in History: 27 August 2020
27 August 1883
137 years ago, today, the most powerful volcanic eruption occurred on Krakatoa, a small island in Indonesia. The explosions, that were heard 3,000 miles away, created 120-foot tsunamis and killed around 36,000 people. In May, Krakatoa had shown its first stirrings in more than 200 years. For the next two months, explosions would often be witnessed by commercial liners and natives on nearby islands. Local inhabitants greeted the volcanic activity with festive excitement, naïve to the threat that the volcano posed. This excitement, however, quickly turned to horror when Krakatoa blew itself apart, and set off a chain of natural disasters around the world.
The gushing mountain generated a series of pyroclastic flow and enormous tsunamis that swept over nearby coastlines. Ash was propelled to heights of 50 miles, as fine dust from the explosion drifted around the earth, forming an atmospheric veil that lowered temperatures worldwide by several degrees. Of the 36,000 deaths caused by the eruption, at least 31,000 were from the tsunamis created when much of the island fell into the water. These waves washed over nearby islands, stripping away vegetation and dragging people out to sea. Another 4,500 were scorched to death by the pyroclastic flows. As well as Krakatoa, which is still active today, Indonesia has another 130 active volcanoes, the most of any country.
Want to find out more about the deadly Krakatoa explosion? Click here for more information, or here for more about the deadliest volcanic eruption in history.
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