Indonesia's 'child' of Krakatoa spews ash and lava

An Indonesian volcano known as the "child" of the legendary Krakatoa erupted on Thursday, spewing a plume of ash high into the sky as molten lava streamed down from its summit.

Anak Krakatau -- a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean a half century after Krakatoa's deadly 1883 eruption -- has rumbled back to life in recent weeks, spitting flaming rocks and ash from its crater.

No one lives on Krakatau, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, but the peak is a popular tourist spot.

Indonesia's geological agency has not raised the alert level for the mountain. However, there is a one kilometre no-go zone around its summit.

When Krakatoa erupted in the 19th century, a jet of ash, stones and smoke shot more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) into the sky, plunging the region into darkness, and sparking a huge tsunami that was felt around the world.

The disaster killed more than 36,000 people.

Indonesia is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a vast zone of geological instability where the collision of tectonic plates causes frequent quakes and major volcanic activity.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Official Guatemala volcano death toll rises to 121
Guatemala City (AFP) July 18, 2018
The death toll from the violent eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano on June 3 has risen to 121, after the identification of five cadavers recovered from the devastated zone, a forensics institute said Wednesday. The five bodies were those of young people aged two months to 19 years, said the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF). Two had been on the list of the missing. The victims were identified in a temporary morgue in the southern city of Escuintla, where forensic specialists a ... read more