Wednesday, August 21, 2024

The 1883 eruption of Indonesia's Krakatoa volcano was so gargantuan that it's almost impossible to comprehend

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The loudest sound in recorded history, it ruptured the eardrums of people more than 40 miles from the epicenter, created a sound wave that circled the globe seven times, and could be heard all the way in New York City — more than 10,000 miles away.

And even those around the world who didn't hear the blast still reported seeing the sun turn purple, the moon turn blue, and the sky turn red. In fact, the sky grew so red as far away as Connecticut that one local fire department was dispatched to put out what they were sure was a blaze burning somewhere right in town.

As for those who were much closer to the eruption, Krakatoa tore its island almost completely in two. Later, the bodies of those killed in the blast floated on "rafts" made of volcanic stone all the way to the coast of Africa. 

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