Air Date: Week of August 21, 1998

This week, facts about...the Krakatau volcanic eruption.

Transcript

CURWOOD: One hundred and fifteen Augusts ago the earth was sent the mother of all wake up calls. On the island of Krakatau (crack-a-TAUH), located between Java and Sumatra, a volcano exploded with the force of ten-thousand Hiroshima atomic bombs. The explosion was heard as far as 1500 miles away. It's shock waves travelled four times around the globe, and created a Tsunami (su-NAH-mi), 6 times larger than the one that struck New Guinea last month. 40,000 people died in its wake. On the other hand, Krakatau offered a unique opportunity for biologists: the complete obliteration of flora and fauna there allowed them to study the rebirth of an ecosystem. Beginning with a single spider, blown on to the island nine months after the blast -- wildlife soon reestablished itself. After 25 years, coastal trees reached 115 feet, and the island was supporting a host of insects and birds, even a large reticulated python. The recovery of Krakatau, now a forested national park, continues to intrigue scientists, and provides an encouraging sign that there is indeed life after death. And for this week, that’s the Living on Earth Almanac.