Qualla: Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing

Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing: Introduction

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Uprising, CC BY-SA 3.0. In 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa exploded with the force of 200 megatons of TNT, collapsing into the sea and killing 36,000 people. For 44 years, only water remained where the island had stood. Then, in 1927, a new cone broke the surface - Anak Krakatau, 'Child of Krakatoa.' The child has been growing ever since, rising at an average of 5 meters per year, erupting frequently, and in 2018 partially collapsing to cause a deadly tsunami. Anak Krakatau is living proof that even the most catastrophic destruction is temporary - the volcano that destroyed itself is rebuilding, one eruption at a time.

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Image: Uprising | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing: The Parent

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit flydime, CC BY 2.0. Krakatoa before 1883 was a volcanic island rising 450 meters above the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. When it erupted on August 27, 1883, the explosion was heard 3,000 miles away. Two-thirds of the island collapsed into the emptied magma chamber. Tsunamis up to 120 feet h...

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Image: flydime | CC BY 2.0

Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing: The Birth

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit G.F.J. (Georg Friedrich Johannes) Bley (Fotograaf/photographer)., CC BY-SA 3.0. In 1927, fishermen reported steaming water in the caldera. Submarine eruptions had begun. On August 11, 1930, a new island emerged above the waves - Anak Krakatau was born. The child was unstable at first, washed away by waves multiple times before establishing itself permanently...

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Image: G.F.J. (Georg Friedrich Johannes) Bley (Fotograaf/photographer). | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing: The Growth

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0. Anak Krakatau grew at an average rate of 5 meters per year in height and 7 meters in width. By 2018, it had risen to about 340 meters above sea level - not yet matching its parent's height, but growing steadily. The island was constantly reshaped by eruptions, sometimes more freq...

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Image: Unknown author | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing: The Collapse

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0. On December 22, 2018, Anak Krakatau demonstrated that it had inherited its parent's destructive potential. Part of the cone collapsed into the sea during an eruption, triggering a tsunami that struck the coasts of Java and Sumatra without warning. Over 400 people died. The colla...

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Image: Unknown author | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anak Krakatau: The Child That Keeps Growing: The Future

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit ITA-ATU, CC BY-SA 4.0. Anak Krakatau continues to erupt and grow. Since the 2018 collapse, the cone has been rebuilding. Eventually - in decades or centuries - the child may reach the parent's size. Eventually, another catastrophic eruption may occur. The volcanic system follows its own timeline. Scie...

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Image: ITA-ATU | CC BY-SA 4.0