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HISTORY'S
CURRENTS
THE KRAKATAU ERUPTION OF 1883
Krakatau
was a volcano located on the island of Rakata between Java
and Sumatra, about thirty-two miles off the west coast of
Java. When Krakatau erupted in 1883, the island virtually
collapsed into its own cavity, 275 feet below sea level.
The result of the eruption caused explosions that were heard
over one tenth of the earth's surface, caused massive tidal
waves around the Pacific and Indian Oceans, destroyed over
160 coastal villages, and killed at least 36,417 people.
The eruption of Krakatau was so violent that the volcanic
ash and debris reached as far west as Madagascar.
Since early historic ages, violent volcanic activity has
been known to exist in the region. Ancient Krakatau was
estimated 6,000 feet in height and had a radius of about
six miles. The "great eruption" of Krakatau took
place around 400 AD, as reported in the ancient Javanese
scriptures,"the Pustaka Raja." The eruption formed
the islands of Rakata, Panjang, and Sertung, and caused
a five-mile long caldera or cavity to form underneath Rakata.
Rakata and the other islands expanded and the volcanoes
near Krakatau, Danan and Perbuatan, became more pronounced.
This would help fuel the major explosion of the volcano
in 1883.
On
27 August 1883, Krakatau erupted. About 75% of the island
Rakata vanished in the explosion estimated to be equal to
the equivalent of 10,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs. A massive
tidal wave over 135 feet high emitted from the epicenter
of the volcano. The tidal wave caused a steamship anchored
in Teluk Betung port to be thrown over two miles away and
wash ashore in the lower course of Kuripan river. It also
caused a hail of ash and stone that covered 300 square miles
of land. Jakarta and the area around Sunda Strait such as
Anyer, Merak, Labuan, Kalianda, Teluk Betung and Kota Agung
became pitch dark due to the ash.
The
main damage and death came from the giant waves that reached
heights of over 135 feet above sea level and devastated
everything in their path. The tidal wave ran one to seven
miles inland along 450 miles of coastline. It destroyed
many fishing boats and even inland villages in its wake.
There were reports of giant coral blocks weighing as much
as 600 tons being hurled ashore. The wave reached Aden,
south of Saudi Arabia, in 12 hours, a distance of 3800 nautical
miles. At least 36,417 people were killed, most by the giant
sea waves, and 165 coastal villages were destroyed.
The
explosion of the volcano also affected the atmosphere. Blue
and green suns were observed as fine ash and aerosol erupted
perhaps 45 miles into the stratosphere and circled the equator
in 13 days. Three months after the eruption these products
had spread to higher latitudes causing such vivid red sunset
afterglows that fire engines were called out in New York,
Poughkeepsie, and New Haven to quench the apparent conflagration.
Unusual sunsets continued for 3 years.
Today the same geological actions that caused Krakatau to
destroy itself are constructing a new island. The island
appeared from the sea in about the same place as Rakata
in the 1930s. The volcano is being called Anak Krakatau,
meaning "Son of Krakatau, " by the inhabitants
of the area. The young volcano now stands about 2,500 feet
above sea level.
History's
currents or current history? You decide!
Editor's
note: The new name of the volcano, Anak Krakatau, meaning
"son of Krakatau" reminds the Clarion Issue staff
of the name of a bad "B" horror movie sequel from
the 1950s.
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