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—— ON THIS DAY ——
AUGUST 27, 1883
Sunda Strait, Dutch East Indies
143 years ago
The eruption of Krakatoa on August 27, 1883, one of the most catastrophic volcanic events in recorded history, which destroyed most of the island and generated tsunamis that killed tens of thousands.
On August 27, 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa, in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in what was then the Dutch East Indies, tore itself apart in a series of colossal explosions. The eruption had been building since May, but that morning it reached a climax of almost unimaginable violence. The largest blast, around ten in the morning, was among the most powerful in recorded history, and the sound of it was heard nearly three thousand miles away, in Australia and beyond, one of the loudest noises ever documented.
The explosions destroyed two-thirds of the island, which collapsed into the sea and left behind a vast underwater crater. But it was not the blast itself that killed most of the victims. The collapse and eruption generated enormous tsunamis, some reaching well over a hundred feet in height, that swept over the coastal towns and villages of Java and Sumatra. More than thirty-six thousand people died, the overwhelming majority drowned by the waves that followed the eruption.
—— MARQUEE EVENT ——
The global effects of the Krakatoa eruption, from tsunamis that killed tens of thousands to atmospheric ash that cooled the planet and turned sunsets vivid red around the world.
The pressure wave from the greatest explosion was so powerful that it circled the entire planet multiple times, registered on barometers around the world days after the event. The tsunamis stripped away entire coastal communities, carrying ships far inland and leaving few survivors in the worst-hit areas. Pumice and debris floated across the Indian Ocean for months, and human remains and volcanic rock washed ashore on distant coasts.
The eruption's effects reached far beyond the immediate devastation. Enormous quantities of ash and gas were flung high into the atmosphere, spreading around the globe and reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the surface. Average global temperatures fell measurably for years afterward. The suspended particles also scattered light in the upper atmosphere, producing spectacular and eerie red sunsets and colored skies seen around the world, phenomena that some believe influenced painters and observers of the era.
Krakatoa was also, in a sense, the first truly global news event. The telegraph, newly strung across the world, carried word of the catastrophe from the Dutch East Indies to Europe and America within hours, and the disaster was followed in real time across continents in a way no previous natural event had been. The island that had blown itself apart eventually began to rebuild, as a new volcanic cone, Anak Krakatau, the Child of Krakatoa, rose from the sea decades later, still active and growing to this day.
—— WHY THIS MATTERS ——
It was one of the most violent eruptions in recorded history. The climactic explosion was among the loudest sounds ever documented, heard thousands of miles away, and its pressure wave circled the globe multiple times. Few natural events have unleashed such raw power.
Its effects were felt around the entire world. Ash flung into the atmosphere cooled the planet for years and produced vivid sunsets across the globe. The eruption demonstrated how a single volcanic event could alter the climate and skies of the whole Earth.
It was among the first global news events. The newly laid telegraph carried word of the catastrophe worldwide within hours, allowing the disaster to be followed across continents in near real time, a new experience of shared, instantaneous awareness of a distant event.
—— THE TAKEAWAY ——
On August 27, 1883, Krakatoa exploded with a force among the greatest ever recorded, heard three thousand miles away, and collapsed into the sea. The tsunamis it spawned killed more than thirty-six thousand people, and its ash cooled the planet and reddened skies worldwide. Its pressure wave circled the Earth seven times.
—— QUOTE OF THE DAY ——
“The sky was a nightmare of blood and fire from the ash of a distant mountain.”
— A contemporary observer, describing skies after the Krakatoa eruption
—— OUR QUIZ OF THE DAY ——
How much do you know about the eruption of Krakatoa, the tsunamis it caused, its global atmospheric effects, and its place as an early worldwide news event?
