Volcanoes, art, and weather... what a way to end the week!

In a previous blog, we discussed how volcanic eruptions can lead to a cooling of the global temperature.  Along with global temperature changes, volcanic eruptions can also cause atmospheric haze effects.

Mt. Krakatau is located between Sumatra and Java off the southwest coast of Indonesia.  While this particular volcano is relatively small in size compared to surrounding volcanoes, the eruptions associated with it have been much larger.  Such was the case in 1883.

Small, relatively mild eruptions began on May 20, 1883 as the volcano reawakened, and continued to increase in frequency and intensity throughout the next three months.  On the morning of August 27, the final, colossal eruption took place, literally blowing the volcano apart.  It is believed that the northern two thirds of the island collapsed into the (now partially empty) magma chamber below the sea, forming a caldera almost 6 km wide.  The diagrams below illustrate this before and after difference.

Pictures courtesy of San Diego State University Department of Geological Sciences.

The statistics associated with this eruption are incredible!

The eruption of Mt. Krakatau "is the loudest natural sound known" (Association Content), being heard 4500+ km away and covering almost one third of the earth's surface.  The shockwave from the final blast, which by the way, was estimated to equal the detonation of approximately 21,000 atomic bombs, lasted five days and traveled around the world seven times.

Between the falling tephra (the solid matter ejected into the air by the volcanic eruption), pyroclastic lava flows, and tsunamis that were between 90-100 feet high, this eruption is responsible for the death of 36,417 people.

So how does this volcano tie into weather and art, you ask?

The eruption of Mt. Krakatau generated twenty times the volume of tephra that was released in the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.  This volcanic ash that was propelled into the stratosphere remained in the earth's atmosphere for years.  This created atmospheric hazing, solar effects such as halos around the sun and moon, and remarkable sunsets that took place as the ash bent the sun's light.  These effects could be seen over 70% of the earth's surface.

The brilliant colors in the sky were the inspiration for a number of artists during the late 19th century.  Two such artists were William Ashcroft and Edvard Munich.  Their paintings, "On the Banks of the River Thames" and "The Scream", respectively, capture the effects on canvas.

Pictures Courtesy of WordPress.com and Art History Guide.

This blog only scrapes the surface of information about this historic eruption, so please feel free to continue learning more about this event by reading the sources below.

Sources:

Art History Guide
Associated Content, History
Earlham College Geosciences Department
San Diego State University Department of Geological Sciences (Climate Effects of Volcanic Eruptions)
San Diego State University Department of Geological Sciences (Krakatau, Indonesia)
WordPress.com