Transcript Krakatau: Disaster and New Beginning

Krakatau Facts
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Volcanic Island in Indonesia
Between Java and Sumatra
About 7 km across
Rising 800 meters above sea level
Long active volcano
Eruptions over several days
10 a.m., August 26, 1883: Explosion
Explosion = 150 megatons of dynamite
Heard 3600 km away in SE Australia
4 km3 of ash shot 30 km high
Remnant Island Survived
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Rakata remained above sea level
Covered in 40 meters of ash
Temperatures at eruption 300o C to 850o C
No life observed
The Damage
• Krakatau and nearby islands sank
• Tidal waves over 36 meters high
– Destroyed 295 towns on Java and Sumatra
– Killed over 35,000 people
• Ash cloud affected world climate
A Century Later: 1984-85
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Thick green rain forest
No pythons seen
30 species of birds, 9 species of bats
Several species of rats and reptiles
Over 300 species of small animals
Life Covers a New Geography
Life Returns to Rakata
Return of life studied by scientists
• Spring 1884: A tiny spider
• Fall 1884: A few shoots of grass
• 1886: 15 species of grass and shrubs
• 1889: Large lizard eating crabs on coast
• 1897: 49 species of grass and shrubs
Decades Later
• 1919: A large python; patches of forest
• 1928: Almost 300 species of grasses
• 1929: Several pythons seen; forests
covered island