The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa caused explosions heard thousands of kilometres away across the Indonesian archipelago.
Krakatoa, also spelled Krakatau, was a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Its catastrophic eruption climaxed on 27 August 1883, when massive explosions destroyed much of the island and generated tsunamis. The event killed more than 36,000 people, most of them through tsunami impacts along nearby coastlines.
The eruption produced atmospheric effects visible around the world, including unusually vivid sunsets. It also caused pressure waves that were recorded repeatedly as they travelled around Earth. A new volcanic cone, Anak Krakatau, later emerged from the caldera. Krakatoa is often confused with Mount Tambora, another Indonesian volcano whose 1815 eruption was even larger and caused the “Year Without a Summer.”