The Krakatoa eruption that caused a global climate effect occurred in 1883.
Krakatoa, an island volcano in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, began a catastrophic eruptive sequence in May 1883. The climactic explosions occurred on 26 and 27 August, destroying much of the island and generating enormous tsunamis. More than 36,000 deaths were attributed mainly to the resulting waves, making the disaster one of the deadliest volcanic events in recorded history.
The eruption injected ash and sulfur dioxide high into the atmosphere. Sulfate aerosols spread around the world, reflecting sunlight and contributing to cooler global temperatures for several years. Artists and observers also reported unusually vivid sunsets. A new volcanic island, Anak Krakatau, later grew in the caldera formed by the eruption. Krakatoa is often confused with Mount Tambora’s 1815 eruption, which was larger and caused the “Year Without a Summer.”