| |
N0KFQ > TODAY 27.08.11 19:39l 65 Lines 3052 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 11363_KB0WSA
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Aug 27
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<JE7YGF<N9PMO<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 110827/1728Z 11363@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.0.4
Aug 27, 1883:
Krakatoa erupts
The volcanic island of Krakatoa near Indonesia erupts on this day
in 1883, killing thousands in one of the worst geologic disasters
of modern times.
The beginning of the amazing events at Krakatoa in 1883 date to
May 20 when there were initial rumblings and venting from the
volcano, which had been dormant for about 200 years. Over the
next three months, there were regular small blasts from Krakatoa
out of three vents. On August 11, ash started spewing from the
small mountain. Eruptions got progressively stronger until August
26, when the catastrophe began.
At noon, the volcano sent an ash cloud 20 miles into the air and
tremors triggered several tsunamis. This turned out to be just a
small indication, however, of what would follow the next day. For
four-and-a-half hours beginning at 5:30 a.m. on August 27, there
were four major and incredibly powerful eruptions. The last of
these made the loudest sound ever recorded on the planet. It
could be heard as far away as central Australia and the island of
Rodrigues, 3,000 miles from Krakatoa. The air waves created by
the eruption were detected at points all over the earth.
The eruption had devastating effects on the islands near
Krakatoa. It set off tremendous tsunamis that overwhelmed
hundreds of villages on the coasts of Java and Sumatra. Water
pushed inland several miles in certain places, with coral blocks
weighing 600 tons ending up on shore. At least 35,000 people
died, though exact numbers were impossible to determine. The
tsunamis traveled nearly around the world--unusually high waves
were noticed thousands of miles away the next day.
The volcano threw so much rock, ash and pumice into the
atmosphere that, in the immediate area, the sun was virtually
blocked out for a couple of days. Within a couple of weeks, the
sun appeared in strange colors to people all over the world
because of all the fine dust in the stratosphere. Over the
ensuing three months, the debris high in the sky produced vivid
red sunsets. In one case, fire engines in Poughkeepsie, New York,
were dispatched when people watching a sunset were sure that they
were seeing a fire in the distance. Further, there is speculation
that Edvard Munch's 1893 painting "The Scream" depicting a
psychedelic sunset may have actually been a faithful rendering of
what Munch saw in Norway in the years following the eruption of
Krakatoa. The amount of dust in the atmosphere also filtered
enough sun and heat that global temperatures fell significantly
for a couple of years.
Krakatoa was left only a tiny fraction of its former self.
However, in the intervening years, a small island, Anak Krakatoa
("Son of Krakatoa") has arisen from the sea. It is growing at an
average of five inches every week. This island is receiving a
great deal of scientific attention, as it represents a chance to
see how island ecosystems are established from scratch.
73, K.O. n0kfq
Another old retired guy
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
Using Outpost Version 2.5.0 c33
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
