[WorldCase] 1883 eruption of Krakatoa
Krakatoa, The Burning Heart
In 1883, a hidden, explosive secret in the Sunda Strait was about to be revealed. At the heart of this land stood the Krakatoa volcano, a primordial force of nature. For centuries, it had lain dormant, but with one catastrophic eruption, it was ready to rewrite history. No one could have foreseen the scale of the eruption, and as time passed, its aftershocks would prove far greater than anyone could imagine.
The history of Krakatoa was as complex as an ancient tale. Its early origins trace back to around 416 AD, when a massive eruption caused the volcano to collapse, forming a vast caldera in the sea. This marked the beginning of Krakatoa’s transformation, but it was the eruption of 535 AD that truly set the stage for a global disaster. The skies darkened, and a global famine spread across the world. At this time, Krakatoa was reborn, as the volcanoes of Rakata, Danan, and Perbuatan emerged, eventually joining together to form the original Krakatoa island. However, it was the eruption in 1883 that would bring another, far more violent change.
When the volcano erupted in that fateful year, no one could have predicted the scale of its devastation. On May 20, the first tremors of the eruption began. Small eruptions and aftershocks followed, building the sense of dread. On August 26, the major eruption began.
From the heart of Krakatoa, a pillar of volcanic ash soared 25 kilometers into the sky. Ash and pumice rained down across the Sunda Strait, dimming the sunlight for two full days. The eruption’s pyroclastic flows traveled 40 kilometers across the sea, reaching the coast of Sumatra. But that was just the beginning. When the caldera collapsed, the sea was violently displaced, causing a massive tsunami that claimed 36,000 lives.
The explosion’s sound shook the world. It ruptured the eardrums of people within 16 kilometers, and the sound traveled all the way to Rodrigues Island, 4653 kilometers away. In Batavia (now Jakarta), the sound reached 172 decibels, about 100,000 times the sound of a jet engine. It was almost the maximum sound pressure that can be transmitted through the atmosphere, approaching the limit of 194 decibels.
The aftermath of the eruption also drastically impacted the global climate. Earth’s average temperature dropped by 1.2 degrees Celsius, triggering widespread famines. Europe and Asia were struck by harsh winters, causing millions of deaths. An estimated 2 to 6 million people perished due to the climate disaster caused by the eruption.
However, amidst the destruction, some unexpected life flourished. In the Sonoran Desert, the iconic Saguaro cacti thrived, thanks to an unusually wet climate caused by the volcanic ash. The seedlings, nourished by the changed conditions, grew strong, and today, many of the cacti are over a century old, surviving thanks to the eruption.
The destruction of Krakatoa was complete. Most of the island sank beneath the sea, and in its place rose Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatoa), a new volcano formed in 1927. It resembled the Greek island of Santorini, with its structure emerging from a sea caldera. Anak Krakatau signaled a new beginning, but no one could predict when the next eruption would come. Even today, Krakatoa’s legacy continues to shape the earth.
