Anak Krakatau is erupting. In 1883, Krakatau was devastating – could that happen again?
It’s hard to overstate just how big the 1883 eruptions were, and the catastrophic and often strange impacts that followed. For starters, the Moon went blue.
Mount Anak Krakatau, an Indonesian volcano, erupted this week, spewing volcanic ash into the sky and disrupting dozens of flights. Over 300,000 passengers were impacted. The volcano, known as "child of Krakatau" in Indonesian, has erupted intermittently for nearly a century. Its predecessor, Krakatau, famously erupted between May and August in 1883, causing catastrophic consequences.
The 1883 eruption was so powerful that it affected global temperatures, caused bizarre weather patterns, and resulted in around 35,000 deaths, primarily due to tsunamis. The sound of one of the explosions was the loudest ever recorded, audible from nearly 5,000 kilometers away.
Scientists believe the 1883 eruption was triggered by the mixing of new, hot magma with older, more viscous magma beneath the volcano, creating instability. This process might have also contributed to similar large-scale eruptions, such as Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, and Mount Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland in 2010.
The danger in 1883 stemmed from the volcano's underwater location, which led to tsunamis instead of falling volcanic material. In Australia, strange rumbling sounds were reported 3,000 kilometers away, along with tsunamis that reached coastlines with heights over two meters. No human deaths were reported, but livestock drowned in Western Australia. An earthquake was also felt in the Northern Territory.
The eruption's effects persisted, with pumice floating along Australian coastlines for nearly a year and reaching even distant shores like Zanzibar. The volcano also altered the atmosphere, injecting volcanic gases and fine particles high into the atmosphere, which remained suspended for months. This led to the Moon appearing blue, reduced sunlight reaching Earth's surface, and a temporary drop in near-surface temperatures.
While it's difficult to predict whether Anak Krakatau will cause similar devastation again, the volcano remains highly active, which could increase the risk of collapse and subsequent tsunamis. However, it could also reduce the likelihood of a larger eruption in the long term by relieving the buildup of viscous magma inside the volcano. The current eruption primarily poses a hazard via airborne ash, but ongoing monitoring by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency is essential to assess potential risks.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
