The Eruption at Krakatoa Was Felt — and Heard — All Over the World

The eruption at Krakatoa was felt — and heard — all over the world.

The volcano known as Krakatoa exploded on August 26th and 27th, 1883. Krakatoa is on an island, also called Krakatoa, in what is now Indonesia. People felt this eruption all over the world. In fact, the final shockwave traveled around the Earth three and a half times.

Krakatoa is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra, placing it in the infamous Ring of Fire. Three out of every four active volcanoes are located in this large area in the Pacific Ocean. Volcanoes erupt when magma, or molten rock, is forced up from deep in the Earth. This causes pressure to build up, resulting in eruptions. Krakatoa started erupting in May of 1883, blowing ash and steam into the air all summer long. But that was nothing compared to the four final explosions that began on August 26th and peaked on the 27th. These eruptions blew ash more than 50 miles into the atmosphere. They were so loud that they burst the eardrums of nearby sailors. Some scientists think the final eruption might have been the loudest event in world history; it was heard 3,000 miles away.

The blasts leveled the island of Krakatoa, causing two-thirds of its area to disappear. Their vibrations set off a series of tsunamis that ranged for many miles. No one is quite sure how many people died as a direct result of the eruption -- estimates range from 36,000 to more than 120,000. So much ash was thrown into the sky that it decreased worldwide temperatures for two years. That happened because the ash blocked the sun’s light and heat. This debris caused eerie glowing skies all over the Earth for many years.

Today, Krakatoa Island is populated with small farmers who make good use of the fertile volcanic soil. In 1927, a new island called Anak Krakatoa, or “child of Krakatoa,” emerged from the eruption site. It is still the location of volcanic activity.