Krakatoa target of Earth Observing-1 satellite

The Advanced Land Imager aboard the Earth Observing-1 satellite took this image of Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatau) – also known as Krakatoa – on July 31, 2011. This was the site of the catastrophic eruption in August of 1883, which killed at least 36,000 people – most from tsunamis – and was reportedly heard by people 3,000 miles away.

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Anak Krakatau has gradually risen out of the water since the volcano site became active again in 1927 (the original island was almost totally destroyed in the 1883 explosion). Since that time, there have been intermittent eruptions, and the volcano today is over 300 yards (300 meters) in height. Lava flows from the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s appear in the image as dark gray areas. Older lava flows are covered with green vegetation along the eastern coastline. The volcano is located in the shallow waters of the Sunda Strait, between Sumatra and Java in Indonesia.

Bottom line: NASA’s Advanced Land Imager aboard Earth Observing-1 captured a steaming Krakatoa on July 31, 2011.

Via NASA Earth Observatory

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