Krakatoa

[Leesifer]

There was a BBC dramatisation on Sunday night, detailing the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883.

They drew from eyewitness accounts collected by a scientist at the time.

One of the most fascinating parts for me was the story of the ship "The Loudon". The Captain, Lindemann, decided to face the tsunami head on and they climbed up and over the wave and his actions saved everybody on board.

Here's (http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Krakatau.html) and interesting site I found just now.

A new cone has been formed by subsquent eruptions under the see, creating Anak Krakatau ("child of Krakatau"). :volcano:

[erimir]

Did they mention the balloon platform carrying the alphabetically diverse residents away?

[Legs]

Sunday, August 26. At 12:53 p.m., Krakatau delivered the opening salvo to a climactic eruption that would last throughout the evening of August 27. The initial blast generated an ear-shattering fusillade accompanied by a black churning cloud of volcanic debris that rose quickly to 25 km above the island. Over the next several hours, it would widen dramatically to the northeast, rising to a height of at least 36 km. The intensity of the eruptions increased throughout Sunday, frightening the coastal communities of western Sumatra, western Java, and adjacent islands. Later in the day, these villages would be battered by a series of devasting tsunamis generated by pyroclastic flows plunging into the sea. The worst was yet to come.

Monday, August 27. This frightening display of volcanic power would culminate in a series of at least four stupendous eruptions that began at 5:30 a.m., climaxing in a colossal blast that literally blew Krakatau apart. The noise was heard over 4600 km away, throughout the Indian Ocean, from Rodriguez Island and Sri Lanka in the west, to Australia in the east. Two-thirds of the island collapsed beneath the sea into the underlying, partially vacated magma chamber. About 23 square kilometers of the island, including all of Perboewatan and Danan, subsided into a caldera about 6 km across. At an original height of 450 m, Danan had collapsed to depth of 250 m below sealevel.

Cool site, Leesifer :yup:

/me loves Volcanos

[Legs]

Oh..oh! from Captain Lindemann log.

"Suddenly we saw a gigantic wave of prodigious height advancing toward the seashore with considerable speed. Immediately, the crew . . .managed to set sail in face of the imminent danger; the ship had just enough time to meet with the wave from the front. The ship met the wave head on and the Loudon was lifted up with a dizzying rapidity and made a formidable leap... The ship rode at a high angle over the crest of the wave and down the other side. The wave continued on its journey toward land, and the benumbed crew watched as the sea in a single sweeping motion consumed the town. There, where an instant before had lain the town of Telok Betong, nothing remained but the open sea."

[Leesifer]

Did they mention the balloon platform carrying the alphabetically diverse residents away?

Finally, I know what you're on about (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twenty-One_Balloons) now, erimir. :giggle:

[MooseIBe]

I saw most of it, thought it was very well done. I note there's another about to blow in Indonesia :(. At least they hopefully get warning this time.