Mount Karakatoa

Mount Krakatau

Mount Krakatau is located in the waters of the Sunda Strait. It is one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, because of the tremendous eruption in 1883. The noise of the eruption could be heard as far away as on the Australian continent, and the ash clouds affected the skies in Europe for a week. 

The Krakatoa explosion decimated the original volcano; a new volcanic cone is developing in the caldera: Anak Krakatoa ('child of Krakatoa') which surfaced in 1928 which still remains active. Located in the Sunda Strait, nature tourism on the new volcanic peak is easily reached from Anyer-Carita beach, about an hour's travel by motor boat. This resort offers nature tours such as camping, hiking, fishing, and snorkelling.

Anak Krakatau

Verbeek, in his report on the eruption, predicted that any new activity would manifest itself in the region which had been between Perboewatan and Danan. This prediction came true on 29 December 1927, when evidence of a submarine eruption was seen in this area (an earlier event in the same area had been reported in June 1927). A new island volcano, named Anak Krakatau or Child of Krakatoa, rose above the waterline a few days later. The eruptions were initially of pumice and ash, and that island and the two islands that followed were quickly eroded away by the sea. Eventually a fourth island named Anak Krakatau broke water in August 1930 and produced lava flows faster than the waves could erode them. Of considerable interest to volcanologists, this has been the subject of extensive study.

Current activity

Anak Krakatau has grown at an average rate of five inches (13 cm) per week since the 1950s. This equates to an average growth of 6.8 meters per year. The island is still active, with its most recent eruptive episode having begun in 1994. Quiet periods of a few days have alternated with almost continuous Strombolian eruptions since then, with occasional much larger explosions.

The eruption in April 2008 saw hot gases, rocks, and lava released. Scientists monitoring the volcano have warned people to stay out of a 3 km zone around the island. There are several videos of Krakatoa uploaded onto YouTube showing recent footage of it erupting and inside its crater filmed at the edge of the volcano rim.

On 6 May 2009 the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia raised the eruption alert status of Anak Krakatau to Level Orange. James Reynolds posted footage to YouTube from as recently as November 1, 2010 showing some spectacular eruptions, and NASA has released satellite imagery of the recent activity.