Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano spews ash, lava in new eruption

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Anak Krakatau, an Indonesian volcano, has erupted, launching ash up to 3 kilometers (roughly 2 miles) into the sky, reported officials this Saturday.

The volcanic island, situated in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait between the primary islands of Java and Sumatra, has seen a series of at least seven eruptions since late Friday, according to Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center.

This series of eruptions is the most sustained since the explosive disintegration of the mountain, which triggered a fatal tsunami along the Java and Sumatra coasts in 2018, stated the center. Fortunately, the recent eruption has not resulted in any casualties and there has been no need for evacuation orders. The closest inhabited area is approximately 16 1/2 kilometers (10 1/2 miles) distant.

The center’s CCTV footage revealed continuous eruptions accompanied by lava flares extending into Saturday morning.

Since the catastrophic 2018 incident, the second-highest warning level on a four-tier scale has been maintained. Authorities in May advised locals and tourists to maintain a safe distance of at least 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the crater. Prior to this warning, people would regularly hike up the volcano to witness this natural phenomenon.

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Scientists at the center revealed that following the 2018 eruption and collapse, the size of Anak Krakatau island has diminished to approximately one-fourth of its original size.

Research conducted by the center in 2019 shed light on the magnitude of the tsunami, which impacted over 300 kilometers (186 miles) of coastline in Sumatra and Java. The waves, measuring over 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height, led to the death of more than 430 individuals and displaced 40,000.

The center added that the current height of the crater peak is 159 meters (520 feet), a substantial decrease from its previous height of 338 meters (1,108 feet) before the eruption in December 2018.

Anak Krakatau, which translates to “child of Krakatau,” is the progeny of the renowned Krakatau volcano, the monumental eruption of which in 1883 ushered in a period of global cooling.

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