Krakatoa Exploded with the Force of 10,000 Atomic Bombs
In the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, is the volcanic island of Krakatoa. The area was a part of the Dutch East Indies at the time of its well-known eruption in 1883; it is now a part of Indonesia. The Krakatoa volcano erupted in 1883, creating the loudest sound ever recorded in human history. According to estimates, it was 310 decibels loud—enough to make four complete round of the planet. It was 100 miles away and 172 decibels loud. Standing adjacent to a jet engine will cause you to hear 150 dB of noise.
Ships passing through the busy river began reporting what they had seen, including the German battleship Elizabeth, whose commander saw a cloud of ash over Krakatoa that was almost 6 miles high. By the end of the month, everything had calmed down, although Perboewatan crater continued to spew smoke and ash. It erupted with the explosive power of 200 megatons of TNT. That has a 10,000-fold increase in power over the Hiroshima bomb. Upwards of 36,000 fatalities are estimated.
- Power releases: 10,000-fold increase in power over the Hiroshima bomb
