The explosion of Krakatoa in August 27th, 1883, engraved by Parker & Coward from photograph.. Image © The Eruption of Krakatoa and Subsequent Phenomena, British Royal Society, 1888
Plague clouds
On August 27th, 1883, the volcano of Krakatoa in the Indonesian islands erupted. Ashes and rocks flew miles high. Barometers wobbled three and a half times as they recorded the atmospheric pressure wave circumnavigating the globe. The noise was heard across the Indian Ocean and Australia. And for years, small ash particles floated in the atmosphere, diffusing the sun’s light and scattering colors around the world.