Krakatoa’s 1883 eruption caused a powerful tsunami in Indonesia.
Krakatoa, also spelled Krakatau, was a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Its catastrophic eruption began in August 1883, with the climactic explosions occurring on 27 August. Much of the island collapsed into the sea, generating tsunamis that devastated nearby coastlines.
The eruption was heard thousands of kilometres away and produced atmospheric effects recorded around the world. Ash and aerosols altered sunsets and temporarily influenced global temperatures. More than 36,000 people died, with the majority killed by tsunami waves rather than by volcanic ejecta.
A new volcanic cone, Anak Krakatau, emerged in the caldera decades later and remains active. The 1883 event is sometimes confused with the 2018 Anak Krakatau collapse, which also generated a deadly tsunami but was a separate eruption.