Krakatau (English: Krakatoa) is an active volcanic archipelago located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra that belong to a reserve area. This name was once pinned on one volcano peak there (Mount Krakatau) that vanished because of its own eruption on 26-27 August 1883. The eruption was very powerful; the resulting heat cloud and tsunami killed around 36,000 people. Until December 26, 2004, this tsunami was the largest in the Indian Ocean region. The sound of the eruption was heard up in Alice Springs, Australia and Rodrigues Island near Africa, 4653 kilometers. Its explosive power is estimated at 30,000 times the atomic bomb that was detonated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.
The eruption of Krakatau causes global climate change. The world was dark for two and a half days due to the volcanic ash that covered the atmosphere. The sun shines dim until next year. Scattering of dust appeared in the sky of Norway to New York.
Krakatau explosion is actually still less than the eruption of Mount Toba and Mount Tambora in Indonesia, Mount Tanpo in New Zealand and Mount Katmal in Alaska. However, these mountains erupted deep in times when the human population was still very small. While when Krakatoa erupted, the human population was already densely packed, science and technology had developed, telegraphs had been discovered, and submarine cables had been installed. Thus it can be said that at that time information technology is growing and growing rapidly.
It is noted that the eruption of Mount Krakatau was the first major catastrophe in the world after the invention of the submarine telegraph. The progress, unfortunately has not been matched by progress in the field of geology. The geologists were not even able to explain the eruption. Krakatau volcano erupts, the vibrations felt to Europe.
The Development of Krakatau Mountain
Mount Krakatau Ancient
Seeing the area of Mount Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait, the experts estimate that in ancient times there was a very large mountain in the Sunda Strait which eventually erupted devastatingly leaving a caldera (large crater) called Krakatau Ancient Mountain, which is the mother of Krakatoa volcano erupting at 1883. The mountain is composed of andesitic stones.
Notes about the eruption of Ancient Krakatau taken from an Old Javanese text called King Pria Parwa which is estimated to date from 416 AD. The contents among others stated:
"There is a thunderous sound coming from Mount Batuwara. There are also terrifying earth shocks, total darkness, lightning and lightning. Then came the windstorm and the terrible rain and the whole storm darkened the whole world. A great flood came from Mount Batuwara and flowed eastward to Mount Kamula .... When the water drowned, the island of Java was split into two, creating the island of Sumatra "
Geologist Berend George Escher and several other experts argue that the natural occurrences told came from the ancient Mount Krakatoa, which in the text called Mount Batuwara. According to the book King Pustaka Parwa, the height of this ancient Krakatau reaches 2,000 meters above sea level, and the coastal circle reaches 11 kilometers.
As a result of the great explosion, three quarters of the body of Krakatau Purba destroyed leaving the caldera (large crater) in the Sunda Strait. The sides or edges of the crater are known as Rakata Island, Pulau Panjang and Pulau Sertung, in another note referred to as Rakata Island, Pulau Rakata Kecil and Pulau Sertung. The eruption of this mountain is allegedly responsible for the occurrence of the dark ages on earth. The bubonic disease occurs because the temperature cools. This sample significantly reduces the number of people on earth.
This eruption is also considered to contribute to the end of the Persian primeval heyday, the transmutation of the Roman Empire to the Byzantine Empire, the end of South Arabia civilization, the extinction of the Mayan city of Tikal and the enigmatic fall of Nazca civilization in South America. Ancient Krakatoa explosion is estimated to last for 10 days with an estimated speed of mass vomit reaches 1 million tons per second. The explosion has formed a 20-150 meter atmospheric shield, lowering temperatures by 5-10 degrees over 10-20 years.
The rise of Mount Krakatau
Rakata Island, which is one of the three remaining islands of Mount Krakatau Purba then grows in accordance with the volcanic impulse from the bowels of the earth known as Mount Krakatau (or Gunung Rakata) made of basaltic rock. Then, two volcanoes emerged from the center of the crater, named Mount Danan and Mount Perbuwatan which then merged with Mount Rakata which appeared first. The unity of these three volcanoes is called Mount Krakatoa.
Krakatau volcano erupted in 1680 producing acid andesitic lava. Then in 1880, Mount Perbuwatan actively removed lava even though it did not erupt. After that time, there was no volcanic activity in Krakatoa until May 20, 1883. On that day, after 200 years of sleep, there was a small explosion on Mount Krakatau. Those are the early signs of a major eruption in the Sunda Strait. This small explosion was then followed by small eruptions that peak occurred on 26-27 August 1883.
Error 1883
On Monday, August 27, 1883, exactly at 10.20, there was an explosion on the mountain. According to Simon Winchester, a geologist who graduated from Oxford University of England who is also the author of National Geographic said that the explosion was the largest, the loudest sound and the most destructive volcanic events in the history of modern humans. The sound of the eruption was heard up to 4,600 km from the center of the eruption and could even be heard by 1/8 of the inhabitants of the earth at that time.
According to researchers at the University of North Dakota, the explosion of Krakatau along with the Tambora explosion (1815) recorded the greatest Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) value in modern history. The Guinness Book of Records records the explosion of Krakatoa as the most powerful explosion recorded in history.
The Krakatau explosion has thrown volcanic rocks and volcanic ash with a volume of 18 cubic kilometers. Burst of volcanic dust reaches 80 km. Hard objects that spilled into the air fell on the plains of the island of Java and Sumatra even to Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand.
The eruption destroyed Mount Danan, Mount Perbuwatan and part of Mount Rakata where half its cones disappeared, making the basin as wide as 7 km and 250 meters deep. Tsunami (ocean waves) rise as high as 40 meters destroy villages and anything that is on the coast. This tsunami arose not only because of the eruption but also the underwater landslides.
The number of deaths reached 36,417 people from 295 coastal villages ranging from Merak in Cilegon to Cilamaya in Karawang, western coast of Banten to Tanjung Layar in Panaitan Island (Ujung Kulon and southern Sumatra) In Ujungkulon, the flood came in at 15 km to the west.The next day until a few days later, the inhabitants of Jakarta and Lampung hinterland no longer see the sun, Tsunami waves inflicted even spread to the coast of Hawaii, the west coast of Central America and the Arab Peninsula which is 7 thousand kilometers.
Anak Krakatau
Starting in 1927 or approximately 40 years after the eruption of Mount Krakatau, emerged volcanoes known as Anak Krakatau from the area of ??the ancient caldera is still active and still growing. The growth rate is about 0.5 meters (20 inches) in height per month. Each year he becomes taller about 6 meters (20 feet) wide and 12 meters (40 feet) wide. Other notes mention the addition of height of about 4 cm per year and if calculated, then within 25 years the increase of Rakata children's height reaches 190 meters (7,500 inches or 500 feet) higher than 25 years earlier. The cause of the height of the mountain is caused by the material coming out of the belly of the new mountain. Currently the height of Anak Krakatau reaches about 230 meters above sea level, while Mount Krakatau previously has a height of 813 meters above sea level.
According to Simon Winchester, despite what happened in the once frightening life of Krakatau, the strange geological, seismic and tectonic realities in Java and Sumatra will ensure that what once happened will someday be reemerged. No one knows exactly when Anak Krakatau will erupt. Some geologists predict this eruption will occur between 2015-2083. But the influence of the earthquake on the Indian Ocean floor on 26 December 2004 also can not be ignored.
According to Professor Ueda Nakayama one of the Japanese volcano experts, Anak Krakatau is still relatively safe although active and there are often small eruptions, there are only certain moments of tourists are prohibited from approaching this area because of the danger of flare lava spewed by this volcano. Other scholars say there is no plausible theory about Anak Krakatau that will erupt again. Even if there is at least 3 more centuries or after 2325 M. But clearly, the number of victims caused more terrible than the previous eruption. Anak Krakatau is currently commonly known by the people as "Krakatau Mountain" as well, although it is actually a new mountain that grew after the previous eruption.
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