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History

Deadly History: Krakatoa Eruption Kills 36,000 by Pyroclastic Flow and Deadly Tsunamis

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On 27 August 1883 Krakatoa (Krakatau), a volcano on a small island west of Sumatra in Indonesia, would render its final blasts resulting in one the deadliest volcanic eruptions in modern history.

1888 lithograph of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.
Image published as Plate 1 in The eruption of Krakatoa, and subsequent phenomena. Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society (London, Trubner & Co., 1888).
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Krakatoa had started erupting in May 1883 and continued erupting off and on for several months. The eruptions at times were so loud they were heard in Jakarta. The eruptions seemed to quiet down for a while but then intensified in later in June resulting in more earthquakes, higher tides, and ships having to be moored with heavy chains to prevent lines snapping. Finally on 26 August it began continually erupting starting in the afternoon. The eruptions were loud and were soon heard all over Java. Ash and hot pumice also began to fall with ship crews having to deal with the hot pumice. A small tsunami was also generated.

On the morning of 27 August, Krakatoa would erupt four times starting at 5:30 am. The third one at 10:02 am was so loud it was heard 3,000 miles away with people thinking a ship offshore was firing cannons. Tsunamis were generated by each of these blasts as well completely sweeping over neighboring islands and coastlines. The final blast at 10:41 am was triggered by a landslide triggering deadly tsunamis as well. The pyroclastic flow from the eruptions crossed the water and went inland causing more death and destruction as well. Over 36,000 died from both the tsunamis and pyroclastic flows.

Photo of 1883 Eruption
Unknown author
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Original Digital Image at Leiden University, Netherlands.

Studies indicate the tsunamis at one point were 120 feet high and completely stripped small islands of both people and vegetation. The pyroclastic flows stretched forty miles inland. More people died from the tsunamis than the pyroclastic flows. One steamship, the Berouw, was carried 2.5 miles inland by the tsunami killing all 28 crewmembers. No attempt was made to remove it and is still visible (though decayed by time and nature) to this day. A lighthouse was destroyed by a massive 600-ton coral block that the tsunami carried with it. Rail lines were bent, and infrastructure was damaged. Whole communities and villages were wiped out as well. The pressure wave created by the third eruption radiated outward at a speed of 675 mph (1,086 km) per hour. The eardrums of sailors on the RMS Norham Castle off Sumatra and about 64 miles away were ruptured. It is now estimated the decibel level of the third eruption was 180 decibels, the loudest sound heard by humanity.

The pressure wave caused windows to shatter and walls to crack in Batavia (now Jakarta). Gasometers there went off scale due to this pressure wave and barographs around the world measured the pressure wave. It circled the world for three days. The final blast, believed to be a lateral explosion, is estimated to be 200 megatons of TNT making it more powerful than the most powerful thermonuclear weapons. The island was nearly destroyed and only a small fragment remained. No major eruptions were noted until 1920 when a new cone appeared and was named Anak Krakatau (Son of Krakatau) and grew quickly. It erupted in 2018 creating a deadly tsunami with 260-foot waves (80 meters). 437 died but over 30,000 injured and displaced. It erupted again in 2020, but no damage resulted.

The eruption of 1883 is regarded as the first scientifically recorded and studied eruption. The study of volcanoes, volcanology, would grow from this event. It was also the first mass reporting of destruction of this type as well. The telegraph, thanks to land and undersea cables, connected the world. News of the disaster quickly spread throughout the world. What used to take weeks or even months to be known was known in days.

Sources

“Krakatoa.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified July 16, 2026. Accessed August 26, 2026.https://www.britannica.com/place/Krakatoa.

Bagley, Mary. “Krakatoa volcano: Facts about 1883 eruption.” LiveScience. Last modified February 14, 2017. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://www.livescience.com/28186-krakatoa.html.

“Krakatoa – Eruption, Causes & Impact.” HISTORY. Last modified June 30, 2025. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/krakatoa.

Documentaries & Videos

Naked Science. “Krakatoa – the Great Volcanic Eruption.” Video. YouTube, April 22, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrEIT66oPqU.

———. “Krakatoa – the Great Volcanic Eruption.” Video. YouTube, April 22, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrEIT66oPqU.

This uses a miniseries format to show the events leading up to the eruption and its immediate aftermath. The miniseries is wrapped into commentary by Naked Science making it more informative that the miniseries alone.

 Geodiode. “Krakatoa 1883: The Loudest Sound in History? | Volcano Documentary.” Video. YouTube, June 14, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LsqbgtgeHY.

HistoryPod. “27th August 1883: The Eruption of Krakatoa.” Video. YouTube, August 27, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pp-W1Va5gE.

Suggested Reading
[Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]

Editors, C. R. (2014). The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa: The History of the World’s Most Notorious Volcanic Explosions. CreateSpace

Winchester, S. (2005). Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883. Harper Collins.

 

History

Catching Up On Some History: Vesuvius (79 ) and Krakatau (1883)

Vesuvius from Portici by Joseph Wright of Derby(1734–1797) Image:Public Domain
Vesuvius from Portici by Joseph Wright of Derby(1734–1797)
Public Domain

1. Vesuvius (79)
It was just around noon on 24 August 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted with a massive 10 mile mushroom cloud sent into the stratosphere. Ash and pumice would rain down on the area for over twelve hours. People who did not flee would face something much worse when a pyroclastic flow would sweep down killing everyone in its path. The choking cloud suffocated everyone even rescuers.

The Bay of Naples where Mt. Vesuvius is located was known for trade and luxury. The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were near the mountain and had a fairly high standard of living. There was even a small resort town named Stabiae. The mountain was not seen as a problem as no major eruption had occurred in Roman history. Tremors had already been felt before that terrible day as excavations indicate they were repairing streets and underground plumbing. However they had no idea the tremors were connected with the nearby mountain.

Pliny The Younger, staying west across the Bay of Naples, recorded what he saw in two letters he sent to Tacitus. Sadly his uncle, Pliny the Elder, would perish when he went over in his boats to Stabiae. Pliny wrote the eruption lasted eighteen hours with Pompeii buried under 14-17 feet of ash and pumice. Herculaneum was buried under 60 feet of mud and volcanic material. Except for some who returned to reclaim what they had lost, the entire area was left buried and abandoned.

Significant excavations beginning in 1927 on have revealed much of what life must have been like before the destruction. More somber were the finding of some 2,000 bodies. Volcanic ash hardened and preserved the outlines of their bodies. Once the flesh had gone, the outline remained but filled in with plaster revealed those final moments of their lives. And it was not pleasant at all.

Bay of Naples today with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. The densely populated city of Naples lies nearby. Public Domain
Bay of Naples today with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. The densely populated city of Naples lies nearby.
Public Domain

Vesuvius is still an active volcano. Its last major eruption was in March 1944 and destroyed several small villages with lava. The eruption was seen from Naples and damaged (thanks to hot ash and other things)or destroyed up to 88 B-25 medium bombers based in Terzigno, Italy. The volcano is kept under constant watch to prevent anything on the scale of the eruption of 79 AD to the people who live under its shadow.

The eruption of Krakatoa, and subsequent phenomena. Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society (London, Trubner & Co., 1888) Public Domain
The eruption of Krakatoa, and subsequent phenomena. Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society (London, Trubner & Co., 1888)
Public Domain

2. Krakatau (Krakatoa) 1883
On 20 May 1883, Krakatau–a small volcanic island west of Sumatra in Indonesia–came alive with an eruption noticed by a passing German warship. Other eruptions would be noticed by commercial liners and those living on nearby islands for the next two months. Then on 26 Aug an enormous blast took place that destroyed nearly two-thirds of the island. Pyroclastic flows and huge tsunamis would sweep over nearby islands and coastlines. But the worst came the following morning, 27 Aug, at 05:30. Four eruptions would took place with the resulting sound heard over 3,000 miles away. Ash was propelled fifty miles into the air and would circulate around the globe creating colorful sunsets but also lowering temperatures worldwide by several degrees.

36,000 deaths resulted from the eruption and 31,000 were from the tsunamis created when much of the island fell into the water. The highest waves were 120 feet high when they washed over neighboring islands stripping them of people and vegetation. Pyroclastic flows that stretched as far as 40 miles claimed about 4,500.

The Krakatau eruption of 1883 is considered one of the most violent volcanic activities in modern times and even recorded history. However volcanic activity continues in that area. In 1927, a submarine lava dome was detected in the area that had been destroyed by the eruption in 1883. A new island volcano began to emerge spewing ash. Other islands also started appearing as well but eroded away by the sea. Ultimately a fourth one appeared in August 1930 and was able to last. It was named Anak Krakatau and continues to grow taller each year. It is an active volcano and seemed similar to Stromboli in its eruptions. However more recent eruptions have resulted in volcanologists to warning people to keep a safe distance away. And more ominous is that a large lava dome is growing in its crater. Signs point to one day a very explosive event occurring at this volcano.