Two new islands emerge near Indonesia's Anak Krakatau after September eruption
Two new islands emerge near Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau after September eruption
The Anak Krakatau new islands spotted in satellite images have given volcanologists a rare sight: two small island-like formations have emerged in the waters around Mount Anak Krakatau following a major eruption last month that grounded flights for days, the head of Indonesia’s volcano monitoring agency said on Friday.
The islands were spotted in Sentinel satellite images of the water-filled caldera in which Anak Krakatau stands, Rita Susilawati of the PVMBG Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation told AFP.
“Based on an evaluation of Sentinel satellite imagery, two formations resembling small islands can be seen around Mount Anak Krakatau” in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, she said. Sentinel is a fleet of Earth observation spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency.
Where the Anak Krakatau new islands appeared
One of the islands lies about 760 metres northwest of Mount Anak Krakatau, the other about 495 metres southwest, according to the agency.
Susilawati said it was too early to refer to the islands as “children” of Mount Anak Krakatau — which itself was formed by an underwater eruption in the caldera left behind after the massive 1883 blowout of the original Krakatau volcano. “Anak” means child in Bahasa Indonesia.
Further research is needed to determine whether the new islands are emerging from the base of the caldera in the same way Anak Krakatau did, or whether they were formed by deposits of volcanic material.
In the case of Anak Krakatau itself, several landmasses briefly emerged starting in 1927 and then disappeared through erosion before an enduring island formed in 1930. The two new formations may similarly be eroded away over time.
The September eruption that reshaped the volcano
Mount Anak Krakatau erupted for 25 hours non-stop in September, blanketing cities in volcanic ash and prompting multiple airports to close. More than 300,000 passengers were left stranded.
The volcano is at alert Level 2, the second lowest of four danger categories. People have been advised not to approach within three kilometres of the eruption centre.
Five journalists on a mission to cover the September eruption were declared presumed dead, along with three boat crew, nearly two weeks after the vessel they were travelling in disappeared without trace.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.
FAQs
Where is Anak Krakatau?
Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia.
Are the new islands permanent?
Not necessarily. Volcanologists say the formations may be eroded away over time, as happened with early landmasses at Anak Krakatau in the 1920s.
What does “Anak Krakatau” mean?
“Anak” means “child” in Bahasa Indonesia. The volcano grew from the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Krakatau.
