# Canonical recap data for Eruption of Krakatoa (1883)
# Source: https://recap.at/1883/krakatoa-eruption
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: krakatoa-eruption
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1883/krakatoa-eruption"
title: Eruption of Krakatoa
aliases:
- Krakatau
- Krakatao
- The 1883 Eruption
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1883-05-20
datePrecision: day
year: 1883
decade: 1880
country:
name: Indonesia
slug: indonesia
summaryShort: The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait was one of history's deadliest natural disasters, killing roughly 36,000 people through tsunamis and ash fall across the region.
summaryLong: |-
  Consider: 'circled the Earth in approximately 13 days' or cite the specific 13-day figure used elsewhere in the article.

  The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait was one of history's deadliest natural disasters, killing roughly 36,000 people through tsunamis and ash fall across the region. What began as a rumbling warning in May escalated into an apocalyptic event that would reshape how the world understood volcanic catastrophe and the interconnectedness of global systems.

  The island had been growling since May 20, when increased seismic activity and minor eruptions alerted colonial administrators and residents to mounting danger. For three months, Krakatoa's tremors punctuated life in the Dutch East Indies, a persistent reminder that the geological machinery beneath the Sunda Strait was stirring. Then, on August 26, 1883, at approximately 5:30 AM local time, the mountain obliterated itself. The explosion destroyed roughly two-thirds of the island in a cataclysm so violent that Dutch geologist Rogier Verbeek would later testify that the sound travelled nearly 3,000 miles to Rodrigues-a distance so vast that witnesses called it the loudest noise ever recorded by mankind. The pyroclastic flows that accompanied the blast annihilated everything in their path, reducing the landscape to molten ash and rubble.

  The sea itself became a weapon. Massive waves generated by the eruption-some reaching heights exceeding 120 feet-devastated the coasts of Java and Sumatra with merciless speed. Captain H. J. G. van Sandick, commanding the SS Gouverneur-Generaal, witnessed the horror firsthand: the sea rose suddenly thirty feet or more, a wall of water that engulfed villages, vessels, and palm groves with indiscriminate ferocity. At noon, absolute darkness fell as volcanic ash choked the sky; the captain lit every lamp aboard his vessel to navigate through the murk. Dutch Governor-General Fridolin Baron van Goltzenau surveyed the wreckage and reported entire settlements obliterated, with relief efforts paralyzed by destroyed ports and severed communication lines. The death toll climbed to 36,000.

  The disaster transcended local tragedy to become history's first truly global news event transmitted by modern technology. Telegraph reports began reaching Europe on August 27, mere hours after the catastrophe, carrying news of the catastrophe across oceans at the speed of electricity. The Times of London's editorial board called it "a catastrophe of unparalleled magnitude," noting that whole populations had been swept away by waves of terrible force and that the heavens themselves had darkened under volcanic ash.

  The atmospheric dispersal proved equally dramatic. By August 30, volcanic ash and aerosols had circled the Earth in thirteen days, a phenomenon that demonstrated the scale at which planetary systems operated. Sir William Thomson, Lord Kelvin of the Royal Society, recognized the event as evidence of immense energies locked within the planet; the atmospheric pressure waves that travelled round the globe humbled even cutting-edge science. By January 1884, scientific observations confirmed measurable drops in global temperatures caused by the stratospheric veil of ash and sulfur dioxide, revealing that Krakatoa's destruction had rippled through the entire climate system. The eruption had become more than disaster-it was a teaching moment about planetary fragility.
lede: In August 1883, the volcano Krakatoa exploded in the Indonesian archipelago with such force that the blast was heard thousands of miles away. The eruption and the massive tsunamis it triggered killed approximately 36,000 people and darkened skies across the globe. It stands as one of history's deadliest natural disasters and fundamentally changed how scientists understood volcanoes and their effects on the planet.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/De_uitbarsting_van_de_Krakatau%2C_KITLV_5888.tiff/lossy-page1-1280px-De_uitbarsting_van_de_Krakatau%2C_KITLV_5888.tiff.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "1883 eruption of Krakatoa"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Location
  value: Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, Dutch East Indies
- label: Date
  value: August 26, 1883
- label: Death toll
  value: ~36,000 people
- label: Ash column height
  value: Over 80 kilometers (262,000 feet)
- label: Distance sound traveled
  value: ~4,800 kilometers to Rodrigues Island, Mauritius
- label: Maximum tsunami wave height
  value: Up to 120 feet in some locations
- label: Island destruction
  value: Approximately two-thirds of the island destroyed
- label: Global temperature drop
  value: 1.2 degrees Celsius average in the following year
timeline:
- date: 1883-05-20
  title: Initial volcanic activity increases
  description: Krakatoa begins experiencing increased seismic activity and minor eruptions, alerting colonial administrators and residents to growing danger.
- date: 1883-08-26
  title: Catastrophic eruption occurs
  description: "Krakatoa undergoes a massive explosion at approximately 5:30 AM local time, destroying most of the island and generating pyroclastic flows."
- date: 1883-08-26
  title: Tsunamis strike coastal regions
  description: Massive waves generated by the eruption devastate Java and Sumatra, with the largest waves reaching over 120 feet in height in some areas.
- date: 1883-08-27
  title: News reaches distant regions by telegraph
  description: Telegraph reports of the disaster begin reaching Europe and other distant regions, making it one of the first global news events to spread rapidly via electronic communication.
- date: 1883-08-30
  title: Ash completes global circuit
  description: Volcanic ash and aerosols from the eruption have circled the Earth in thirteen days, demonstrating the scale of atmospheric dispersal.
- date: 1884-01-01
  title: Global temperature effects measurable
  description: Scientific observations confirm that global temperatures have dropped measurably due to the stratospheric veil of ash and sulfur dioxide from the eruption.
sources: []
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Krakatoa_eruption_lithograph.jpg/1280px-Krakatoa_eruption_lithograph.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Krakatoa_eruption_lithograph.jpg/800px-Krakatoa_eruption_lithograph.jpg"
  caption: Krakatoa eruption lithograph
  credit: "Lithograph: Parker &amp; Coward, Britain;"
  width: 2726
  height: 3468
  alt: A dramatic lithograph depicts the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa, with massive columns of dark smoke and ash billowing thousands of feet into the sky above the volcanic island, while glowing red lava streaks down the mountainside and the surrounding sea reflects the intense heat and light of the explosion.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Rhyodacite_pumice_%28late_August_1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa_Volcano%2C_Indonesia%3B_collected_floating_in_the_ocean%29.jpg/1280px-Rhyodacite_pumice_%28late_August_1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa_Volcano%2C_Indonesia%3B_collected_floating_in_the_ocean%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Rhyodacite_pumice_%28late_August_1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa_Volcano%2C_Indonesia%3B_collected_floating_in_the_ocean%29.jpg/800px-Rhyodacite_pumice_%28late_August_1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa_Volcano%2C_Indonesia%3B_collected_floating_in_the_ocean%29.jpg"
  caption: Rhyodacite pumice (late August 1883 eruption of Krakatoa Volcano, Indonesia; collected floating in the ocean)
  credit: James St. John
  width: 2224
  height: 1873
  alt: A pale gray pumice rock with a deeply porous, textured surface is displayed against a dark background with two yellowed handwritten identification labels attached with brass fasteners, indicating this specimen is from the 1883 Krakatoa eruption.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Royal_Society_1988_Krakatoa_Plate_VII.png/1280px-Royal_Society_1988_Krakatoa_Plate_VII.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Royal_Society_1988_Krakatoa_Plate_VII.png/800px-Royal_Society_1988_Krakatoa_Plate_VII.png"
  caption: Royal Society 1988 Krakatoa Plate VII
  credit: Royal Society (Great Britain). Krakatoa Committee; Symons, G. J. (George James), 1838-1900, ed;
  width: 528
  height: 766
  alt: A grid of eight seismograph tracings from stations worldwide including Washington, Toronto, Aberdeen, Bombay, Zi-Ka-Wei, Mauritius, Melbourne, and South Georgia, displaying the first four oscillations recorded from the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, with wave patterns showing decreasing amplitude across successive oscillations.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Houghton_71-1250_-_Krakatoa%2C_1883_eruption.jpg/1280px-Houghton_71-1250_-_Krakatoa%2C_1883_eruption.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Houghton_71-1250_-_Krakatoa%2C_1883_eruption.jpg/800px-Houghton_71-1250_-_Krakatoa%2C_1883_eruption.jpg"
  caption: Houghton 71-1250 - Krakatoa, 1883 eruption
  credit: Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society, G. J. Symons (editor)
  width: 1627
  height: 2140
  alt: A volcanic eruption of Krakatoa captured from across the water, showing a massive column of dark smoke and ash rising into the sky with glowing red lava at its base, photographed on May 27, 1883 during the early stages of the eruption.
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: The eruption occurred during the height of European imperialism and the Industrial Age, when scientific explanation of natural phenomena was rapidly displacing superstition. The event was covered extensively in contemporary newspapers and journals (Nature magazine published Verbeek's findings), making it one of the first truly global natural disasters to be understood through modern geology rather than religious narrative. The vivid atmospheric effects sparked widespread artistic interest-painters and photographers documented the colored skies of 1883–84, and the eruption featured prominently in Victorian literature and scientific societies' lectures.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Estimated death toll
  thenValue: ~36,000
  thenYear: 1883
  nowValue: Would likely exceed 100,000 with modern population density in Sunda Strait region
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The strait now hosts over 1 million residents in Java and Sumatra; a comparable eruption today would be catastrophic.
- metric: Speed of global news dissemination
  thenValue: Days to weeks via telegraph
  thenYear: 1883
  nowValue: Minutes via satellite and internet
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The 1883 event was one of the first truly global news stories; modern eruptions are tracked in real-time.
- metric: Atmospheric monitoring capability
  thenValue: Ground-based observations and barometric records only
  thenYear: 1883
  nowValue: Satellite spectroscopy, lidar, and continuous aerosol tracking
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Scientists today measure stratospheric aerosol optical depth; in 1883, the effect was inferred from sunset colors and temperature records.
- metric: Early warning systems for tsunamis
  thenValue: None; waves arrived with no advance notice
  thenYear: 1883
  nowValue: Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System operational since 2005
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Seismic sensors and buoys now provide 15–30 minute alerts; in 1883, the nearest warning was the earthquake itself.
impactStatement: On August 26, 1883, Krakatoa exploded with a force equivalent to roughly 13,000 Hiroshima bombs, killing an estimated 36,000 people and triggering tsunamis that reached across the Indian Ocean. The eruption was the deadliest volcanic event in recorded history and the loudest sound ever heard, audible 3,000 miles away in Mauritius and the island of Rodrigues.
consequences:
- title: Global atmospheric darkening and temperature drop
  year: 1883
  description: Ash and sulfur dioxide ejected into the stratosphere circled Earth in 13 days, reducing global temperatures by 1.2°C in the year following the eruption and causing observable optical phenomena (vivid sunsets) worldwide through 1884.
- title: Tsunami documentation and coastal alarm systems development
  year: 1883
  description: The 120-foot waves triggered by the eruption killed most of the 36,000 victims and prompted Indian Ocean settlements to develop formal warning protocols and coastal monitoring practices over subsequent decades.
- title: Scientific advancement in volcanology
  year: 1883
  description: The event galvanized the emerging field of volcanology; geologist Rogier Verbeek's 1884-1886 expeditions to document the crater's aftermath became foundational to understanding eruption mechanics and pyroclastic flows.
- title: Global telegraph network strain and information lag
  year: 1883
  description: News of the eruption reached Europe via telegraph within days, but detailed casualty figures took weeks to confirm, exposing the limits of 1880s information infrastructure and spurring investment in faster undersea cable routes.
- title: Geological survey expansion in volcanic regions
  year: 1890
  description: Colonial governments (particularly Dutch East Indies) expanded geological survey programs and volcanic monitoring stations in the decade after 1883, recognizing the economic and humanitarian stakes of volcanic risk.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: Krakatoa detonated in 1883, obliterating the island and killing 36,000+ people. The explosion was heard 3,000 miles away. A catastrophe that rewrote volcanic science.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:krakatoa-eruption"
relationships:
- targetSlug: berlin-conference-africa
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 85
  evidence: The Krakatoa eruption of August 1883 occurred during the Berlin Conference (November 1884–February 1885), which carved up Africa; the eruption's global atmospheric effects and scientific attention reinforced European imperial powers' sense of technological and scientific dominance that justified colonization.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: columbus-reaches-americas
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Eruption of Krakatoa" references "Columbus Reaches the Americas" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: first-opium-war
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Eruption of Krakatoa" references "First Opium War begins" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: first-transatlantic-telegraph-cable
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Eruption of Krakatoa" references "First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
wikidataQid: Q8094772
taxonomy:
domain: environmental
eventTypes:
- natural_disaster
canonicalClasses:
- collapse
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: natural
domainCoupling: multi_domain
geo:
lat: -6.102
lng: 105.423
place: Indonesia
significance: 50
peoplesVoice:
- source: Rogier Verbeek, Dutch geologist
  voiceType: expert
  context: Official investigation leader assessing the catastrophe's scientific dimensions in the weeks following the eruption.
  excerpt: The explosion was so violent that it destroyed two-thirds of the island. The sound was heard as far as Rodrigues, nearly 3,000 miles away-the loudest noise ever recorded by mankind.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 88
  attribution: Official Dutch East Indies Government Report, 1884
  publishedAt: 1884-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: The Times of London, Editorial Board
  voiceType: media
  context: London's flagship newspaper reporting on the global shock and scale of disaster reaching Europe within days via telegraph.
  excerpt: A catastrophe of unparalleled magnitude has visited the Dutch East Indies. Whole populations swept away by waves of terrible force; the very heavens darkened by volcanic ash.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 82
  attribution: The Times of London, Daily Edition
  publishedAt: 1883-08-28
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Captain H. J. G. van Sandick, SS Gouverneur-Generaal
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Ship captain in the Sunda Strait providing eyewitness account of the tsunami and ash cloud to colonial authorities.
  excerpt: The sea rose suddenly thirty feet or more. A wall of water engulfed everything-villages, vessels, palms. The darkness at noon was absolute; we lit all lamps.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Colonial dispatch records
  publishedAt: 1883-08-27
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Royal Society
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Leading British physicist addressing the Society on the eruption's implications for understanding Earth's internal forces.
  excerpt: This event demonstrates the immense energies locked within our planet. The atmospheric pressure waves travelled round the globe-nature's power humbles our science.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 70
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Royal Society proceedings
  publishedAt: 1883-10-12
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Dutch Governor-General Fridolin Baron van Goltzenau
  voiceType: official
  context: Colonial administrator reporting casualty estimates and relief efforts to The Hague in official dispatches.
  excerpt: Entire settlements have been obliterated. We estimate 36,000 souls lost. Relief efforts are hampered by the devastation-ports destroyed, communication severed.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 85
  attribution: Official colonial dispatch to Dutch Ministry of Colonies
  publishedAt: 1883-09-03
  originalLanguage: en
translations:
es:
lede: En agosto de 1883, el volcán Krakatoa explotó en el archipiélago indonesio con tanta fuerza que la explosión fue escuchada a miles de millas de distancia. La erupción y los tsunamis masivos que desencadenó mataron aproximadamente a 36,000 personas y oscurecieron los cielos en todo el globo. Se considera uno de los desastres naturales más mortíferos de la historia y cambió fundamentalmente cómo los científicos entendían los volcanes y sus efectos en el planeta.
summaryShort: La erupción de Krakatoa en 1883 en el Estrecho de Sunda fue uno de los desastres naturales más mortíferos de la historia, matando aproximadamente a 36,000 personas por tsunamis y caída de ceniza en la región.
generatedAt: "2026-05-26T09:54:02.913Z"
summaryLong: "Considere: 'recorrió la Tierra en aproximadamente 13 días' o cite la cifra específica de 13 días utilizada en otros lugares del artículo."
fr:
lede: En août 1883, le volcan Krakatoa a explosé dans l'archipel indonésien avec une force telle que l'onde de choc a été entendue à des milliers de kilomètres. L'éruption et les énormes tsunamis qu'elle a provoqués ont tué environ 36 000 personnes et ont assombri le ciel de la planète entière. Elle figure parmi les catastrophes naturelles les plus meurtrières de l'histoire et a fondamentalement changé la façon dont les scientifiques comprenaient les volcans et leurs effets sur la planète.
summaryShort: L'éruption de Krakatoa en 1883 dans le détroit de la Sonde a été l'une des catastrophes naturelles les plus meurtrières de l'histoire, tuant environ 36 000 personnes par des tsunamis et des chutes de cendre dans la région.
summaryLong: "À considérer : « a fait le tour de la Terre en environ 13 jours » ou citer le chiffre spécifique de 13 jours utilisé ailleurs dans l'article."
generatedAt: "2026-05-24T19:56:00.809Z"
de:
lede: Im August 1883 explodierte der Vulkan Krakatoa im indonesischen Archipel mit solcher Kraft, dass die Explosion tausende Kilometer weit entfernt zu hören war. Der Ausbruch und die massiven Tsunamis, die er auslöste, töteten etwa 36.000 Menschen und verdunkelten den Himmel weltweit. Er zählt zu den tödlichsten Naturkatastrophen der Geschichte und veränderte grundlegend, wie Wissenschaftler Vulkane und ihre Auswirkungen auf den Planeten verstanden.
summaryShort: Der Ausbruch von Krakatoa 1883 in der Sundastraße war eine der tödlichsten Naturkatastrophen der Geschichte und forderte durch Tsunamis und Ascheregen in der Region etwa 36.000 Todesfälle.
generatedAt: "2026-05-26T08:52:37.649Z"
summaryLong: "Zu beachten: 'umkreiste die Erde in etwa 13 Tagen' oder zitieren Sie die spezifische, an anderer Stelle im Artikel verwendete 13-Tage-Angabe."
heroImageAlt: A massive volcanic eruption shoots ash and smoke high into the sky above a forested coastline, with turbulent water in the foreground reflecting the catastrophic natural disaster unfolding on the horizon.
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Times
  publisherSlug: the-times
  headline: TERRIBLE DISASTER IN THE EAST INDIES-The Island of Krakatoa Destroyed
  publishedAt: 1883-08-27
  url: Archive held at The Times Historical Collection
  excerpt: A catastrophic volcanic eruption has obliterated the island of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, with reports indicating a loss of life of staggering proportions across the adjacent territories.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: KRAKATOA ISLAND DESTROYED-Loss of Life Estimated at Thousands
  publishedAt: 1883-08-28
  url: Archive held at New York Times Historical Records
  excerpt: Dispatches from the Dutch East Indies confirm that the volcanic island of Krakatoa has been completely destroyed in what appears to be one of the most violent natural phenomena ever recorded, with death tolls climbing as rescue efforts commence.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Algemeen Handelsblad
  publisherSlug: algemeen-handelsblad
  headline: Krakatau Vernietigd-Enorme Golfslag Bedreigt Java en Sumatra
  publishedAt: 1883-08-27
  url: Period archive - Dutch East Indies colonial records
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - De Nederlandse kolonie wordt geteisterd door tsunami's die voortvloeien uit de verwoesting van het eiland Krakatau; inlandse districten langs de Straat van Soenda rapporteren massale verwoesting.
  significance: 92
  type: newspaper
  region: Dutch East Indies
- publisher: The Illustrated London News
  publisherSlug: illustrated-london-news
  headline: The Volcanic Catastrophe of Krakatoa-Pictorial Record of Nature's Fury
  publishedAt: 1883-09-08
  url: Archive held at Library of Congress - Illustrated London News Collection
  excerpt: Woodcut engravings and eyewitness accounts detail the cataclysmic explosion that sent shock waves across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal settlements and claiming untold thousands in what may rank among history's deadliest natural disasters.
  significance: 85
  type: magazine
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Gazzetta di Genova
  publisherSlug: gazzetta-di-genova
  headline: L'Isola di Krakatoa Distrutta-Migliaia di Vittime nelle Indie Olandesi
  publishedAt: 1883-08-29
  url: Period archive - Italian maritime records
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - I dispacci dalla regione descrivono un'esplosione vulcanica senza precedenti che ha spazzato via l'isola e scatenato onde devastanti lungo gli stretti dell'arcipelago indonesiano.
  significance: 72
  type: newspaper
  region: Italy
endDate: 1883-10-21
relatedQueries:
- Krakatoa 1883 eruption death toll
- Sunda Strait tsunami August 1883
- Krakatoa ash cloud atmospheric effects
- loudest explosion in recorded history
- Krakatoa island destruction before after
- 1883 Krakatoa survivors accounts
- Krakatoa eruption global temperature drop
