Anak Krakatoa Erupts: West Java

By Barrie | November 9th, 2007 | No Comments

Sending a boom across the bay, the offspring of the fabled Krakatoa volcano unleashes another mighty eruption, blasting smoke and red-hot rocks hundreds of feet into the sky. Even on its quiet side, the black sand on the now-forbidden island is so hot that a visitor can only briefly set foot on it. This week’s display by Anak Krakatoa — or “Child of Krakatoa” — is impressive, yet it is a mere sneeze when compared to the blast in August 1883 that obliterated its “father” in the most powerful explosion in recorded history. That blast was heard as far away as 2,500 miles and choked the atmosphere with ash and dust, altering weather patterns for years. Some 36,000 people were killed in the eruptions and ensuing tsunamis.