Krakatoa

[summer blizzard]

I have just watched a program on channel 4 about the famous eruption of Krakatoa in 1893, there were several smaller eruptions before but the main eruption was so large that the island of Krakatoa was completely destroyed, it was so massive that it was heard in Madagasca and the shockwaves from the volcano were carried around the world seven times, it caused a 40 metre high tsunami, the one from the Indonessian earthquake was only 10 metres high and it blocked out sunlight due to Sulphur Dioxide particles being carried around the world by the Jet Stream causing a temperature drop and was responsible for a winter which was classed as the most severe since 1816, it also turned the sky red for 5 years.

Since 1924 a new volcano has been forming and the new Krakatoa volcano is already as high as the previous volcano, it is only a matter of time before it has another massive eruption again.

To put the eruption in prespective, it was ten times larger than the eruption of Mt St Helens in 1980.

[P.K.]

That was an interesting programme. (It was nice to see a bit more of what my tutor does at the end )

[Anti-Mild]

That was an interesting programme. (It was nice to see a bit more of what my tutor does at the end )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dammit I missed that. I wanted to see that too; any idea if it's going to be repeated? regards, AM

[Interested]

I saw it and it was very interesting.

They also said that the new island/volcano grows by about 15 feet each year and it's called the child of Krakatoa. The temp. drop occurred when the matter and gases were carried around the upper layers of the atmosphere causing the world to cool by half a degree.

I also found it fascinating that there was a Victoria artist who painted the sunset and sunrise for 4 years or so to capture the increased red hues of the sky.

[P.K.]

The temp. drop occurred when the matter and gases were carried around the upper layers of the atmosphere causing the world to cool by half a degree.

That is why the following year was known as "the year without summer."

[summer blizzard]

That is why the following year was known as "the year without summer."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Was 1893 not the year when it snowed in July.

[Weather-history]

Hmmm

I want to clear some facts up here

Krakatoa erupted in 1883 and not in 1893 as stated

The "Year without Summer" was actually the summer of 1816.

The July snowfalls occurred during July 1888, although the snowfalls were really restricted to hills, it is often stated that the snowfalls occurred across low levels in the south but this seems unlikely

[Paul R]

I thought it was a very interesting documentary.

[P.K.]

Krakatoa erupted in 1883 and not in 1893 as stated

The "Year without Summer" was actually the summer of 1816.

Hmm, I thought it was the year following this eruption..... What caused the year with no summer then?

Edit - Ok it was a different eruption then

Q:What is meant by "the year there was no summer"?

A: As we live with the summer's heat this readers question is of interest. The year 1816 is called "the year there was no summer". It is due to a phenomenon which occurred in 1815. Mount Tambora, a volcano in Indonesia erupted ejecting billion of cubic yards of dust over 15 miles high into the atmosphere. The dust reached the stratosphere where winds distributed it around the world. Because of this volcanic ash in the atmosphere the earth was shielded from the normal warming effects of the sun. In New England there was a very heavy, crippling snowfall between June 6 and June 11, 1816. There was frost in New England every month of the year in 1816! Crop failures occurred in Western Europe and Canada as well as in New England and the Ohio River valley in the United States. By the following year most of the dust had settled to the earth and near normal climate conditions prevailed. In more recent years we have seen similar though less drastic effects from other volcanic eruptions such as Mount Saint Helen in the United States and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.

http://www.birch.net/~lindabrown/000145.htm

Edited January 23, 2005 by P.K.

[The PIT]

I have just watched a program on channel 4 about the famous eruption of Krakatoa in 1893, there were several smaller eruptions before but the main eruption was so large that the island of Krakatoa was completely destroyed, it was so massive that it was heard in Madagasca and the shockwaves from the volcano were carried around the world seven times, it caused a 40 metre high tsunami, the one from the Indonessian earthquake was only 10 metres high and it blocked out sunlight due to Sulphur Dioxide particles being carried around the world by the Jet Stream causing a temperature drop and was responsible for a winter which was classed as the most severe since 1816, it also turned the sky red for 5 years.

Since 1924 a new volcano has been forming and the new Krakatoa volcano is already as high as the previous volcano, it is only a matter of time before it has another massive eruption again.

To put the eruption in prespective, it was ten times larger than the eruption of Mt St Helens in 1980.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unlikely to happen in our life times as the Volcano has been active quite a bit so theres no block in the conduit.

[summer blizzard]

The year without summer was actually caused by the Eruption of Tombora.

Oh well, still six months for a large eruption to cause a severe winter..