Research Paper On Krakatoa

A century ago, August 26, 1883, the island of Krakatau (Krakatoa) in Indonesia, the volcano exploded with devastating fury. The eruption was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in history. The effects were experienced on a global scale. Fine ash from the eruption were carried by winds exceeding as far away as New York level. The explosion was heard over 3000 miles away. Volcanic dust exploded in the upper atmosphere, affecting incoming solar radiation and the Earth's climate for several years.

This outbreak led to a series of large tsunami waves, some with a height of almost 40 meters (over 120 feet) above sea level, killing more than 36,000 people in coastal towns and villages along the Straits of Probe islands of Java and Sumatra. Tsunami waves were recorded and observed throughout the Indian Ocean, the
Pacific Ocean, the west coast of America, South America, and even as far as the English Channel.

Krakatoa is one of the volcanoes of the volcanic arc tube.
This was formed by the subduction of the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate under Australia.

The Sunda Arc (or Sunda Arc) is a volcanic arc associated with the islands of Sumatra and Java, Sunda Strait and the Lesser Sunda Islands. A chain of volcanoes forms the topographic spine of these islands.

At its peak, Krakatoa reached a height of 790 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. His best known eruption occurred first in 416 AD However, this eruption destroyed the volcano of Krakatoa, which collapsed and formed a caldera 4 miles wide. Verlaten islands and Lang are remnants of this volcano, more then three volcanoes were combined to form the island of Krakatoa.

Picture: simulation of the explosion of Krakatau

So Krakatoa was the remnant of the old volcano that had not erupted for some 200 years. Before 1883 the great eruption of Krakatoa, the island of Rakata was made of the three volcanoes and caldera. Given a location of the volcanic cones aligned in north-south direction. The north and south called Poeboewetan was called Rakata. Generally Krakatoa approximate dimensions were 5 9
miles.

After a long period of inactivity (about 200 years), Krakatoa became active again in early 1883 The first indication that something was happening on Krakatoa was when a major earthquake struck the area.

Seismic activity became stronger until May 20, 1883, when the volcano suddenly came to life. Initial explosive eruptions of Krakatoa was heard at 160 Km. Steam and ash could be seen rising above 11 kilometers from the summit of the volcano. The August 11, 1883 Three vents are activated and eleven erupting vents expelling small amounts of vapor, ash and dust.

Around 1 pm. of August 26, 1883, became more frequent explosions began to run from averages made every 10 minutes. The sailors of a ship, 120 Km. Island, reported a cloud of black smoke rising above the volcano. At that time the crater rim of Krakatoa was about 1,000 feet in diameter and had and average depth of 50 meters.

The volcano central fireplace was blocked by a plug of solid lava and pressure below it was quickly diminishing.

Going further in time could be observed other eruptions of the volcano, more precisely since 1927, which built a new island in the same location, named Anak Krakatau ("Child of Krakatoa").

This island currently has a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and a high point around 300 meters (980 feet) above sea level, growing 5 meters (16 feet) each year. You can say that is a very active young volcano and that at some time or the near future can exploit the same violence that Krakatoa.