"Child of Krakatau" rumbles

Posted at 7:11 AM on November 13, 2007 by Paul Huttner

Indonesia is a seismically active place. Earthquakes are a part of life, devastating tsunamis can follow, and volcanoes dot the landscape.

You may remember the stories of Krakatau's massive eruption in 1883. It's one of the largest eruptions in recorded history. Now, Anak Krakatau or "Child of Krakatau" is dazzling viewers with relatively small eruptions nearly every day.

Child of Krakatau erupts

Meteorologists watch volcanic eruptions closely because big eruptions can change weather and climate over large parts of the planet. Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in June of 1991 caused measureable cooling.

Mt. Pinatubo facts

Mt. Tambora's gigantic eruption in 1815 caused the infamous "Year without a summer" in 1816 in New England and parts of Europe, wiping out crops with frost and snow, and causing migrations to warmer parts of the U.S.

Go West young man!

So far geologists seem to think Child of Krakatau is behaving, and will not produce a huge eruption with climatic scale effects. But meteorologists and climatologists will keep a wary eye cast toward Krakatau these days.

PH

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