Exploding with Fun: Top 11 Krakatoa Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

1. Loudest Rock Concert

If Krakatoa's eruption in 1883 were a rock concert, it surely would have qualified as the loudest gig in history, with a staggering noise level that would have left prehistoric birds searching for earplugs: The volcanic explosion could be heard a whopping 3,600 km (2,200 mi) away in Alice Springs, Australia, and on the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius, 4,780 km (2,970 mi) to the west, ejecting approximately 25 km3 (6 cubic miles) of rock, decimating two-thirds of the island, causing tsunamis that wiped out 165 villages and towns near Krakatoa, and sending at least 36,417 people into their watery graves.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Inspiring "The Scream"

When the sky screamed "paint me like one of your Norwegian girls," Edvard Munch couldn't resist the red allure: The 1883 Krakatoa eruption caused striking red twilight glows in Norway, inspiring Munch's famous painting "The Scream," even though he painted it in 1893, a decade after the volcanic event.
Source => skyandtelescope.org

Did you know that most newly-formed volcanic islands vanish quickly, but a 2014 eruption created an island that still supports plant and animal life? Discover this rare phenomenon!

=> Fun Facts about Volcanoes

3. Monster Tsunami & World Tour Sound Wave

When Krakatoa really blew its top, it wasn't playing ocean peekaboo with gentle splashes: The monstrous 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia set off a colossal tsunami with waves peaking at 46 meters (151 feet) high, even affecting ships way down in South Africa. Being the loudest sound in recorded history, it made sure its presence was heard loud and clear up to 4800 km (3000 miles) away, just for good measure embarking on a world tour like no other with a sound pressure wave that circled Earth seven times over the next five days.
Source => bksv.com

4. Earth-Shattering "Ahoy"

Before there was long-distance calling, Krakatoa shouted the loudest "Ahoy": The 1883 eruption's massive third explosion generated a pressure wave that circled the Earth over thrice, was heard 3,000 miles away and barographs worldwide detected it seven times across five days.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Keep Away: Island Edition

Krakatoa might just be the only island that practices consistent social distancing from humans, refusing to let anyone settle down: In fact, no human settlements ever existed on Krakatoa, thanks to its persistent volcanic tantrums, climaxing in the disastrous eruption of 1883 that led to the island's ghost status.
Source => milliontrees.me

6. Post-Party Temperature Drop

Feeling hot under the collar? Well, nothing tops the afterparty of Krakatoa's explosive temper tantrum in 1883: The eruption launched ash and sulfur dioxide sky-high, creating mesmerizing sunsets for years, helped identify the jet stream, and dropped global temperatures by up to 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) over five years, leaving everyone in a cool daze.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Tsunami RSVPs to English Channel

When Krakatoa decided to throw the most explosive pool party in history, even the English Channel sent an RSVP: The 1883 eruption generated tsunami waves so powerful that they reached as far away as France and England, impacting the atmospheric pressure waves and causing destruction primarily in Indonesia.
Source => drgeorgepc.com

8. Anak Krakatoa: Explosive Opening Act

If Anak Krakatoa were a rock band, it would be the explosive opening act that keeps stealing the show: This volcanic island, nestled between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, has erupted 21 times just in the first four months of 2022 alone, carrying on the legacy of the colossal 1883 eruption that obliterated its predecessor.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Record-Breaking Rumble

Talk about blowing your top: The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 produced the loudest sound in human history, so thunderous that it rumbled all the way to Australia, caused tsunamis that wiped out thousands, and even birthed a fresh volcanic island in its wake, all without causing global frostbite rumors in 1902!
Source => news.mongabay.com

10. Gold Medal Eruption & Technicolor Sky

If Krakatoa competed in the Olympic Games, it'd surely take home the gold for "Most Dramatic Eruption with a Side of Stunning Sunsets": The colossal 1883 eruption altered the global climate, painting the sky with vibrant hues for years, and while it's had a few encores like the 2018 deadly tsunami, nothing's quite matched that show-stopping 1927 performance.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Mother Nature's Icy Ocean Tantrum

When Mother Nature throws a tantrum, she goes all out: The Krakatoa eruption in 1883 created such an impact on global ocean temperatures that it caused sea levels to plunge into an icy funk, with the cold sea surface anomaly making its presence felt in climate models even until the late 20th century. And if you're secretly hoping this meltdown might've prevented sea level rise by growing glaciers and ice caps - sorry, no ice-tastic plot twists here!
Source => agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com