On August 27, 1883, the Earth let out its loudest noise. A noise so loud, that circled the earth four times.
The noise came from the island of Krakatoa in Indonesia. Its volcano had just erupted and it was heard by people as far as 3,000 miles away in at least, 50 geographical locations. To put that into perspective, it’s like being in New York and clearly hear a noise coming from Dublin, Ireland. At the speed of sound (766 miles or 1,233 kilometers per hour), it takes a noise 4 hours to cover that distance!
At the time of the explosion, the British ship Norham Castle was 40 miles from Krakatoa. The ship’s captain wrote in his log: (the article continues after the ad)
“So violent are the explosions that the ear-drums of over half my crew have been shattered. My last thoughts are with my dear wife. I am convinced that the Day of Judgement has come.”
The eruption tore the island apart, emitted a plume of smoke that reached 17 miles high and created a deadly tsunami with waves over 100 feet (30 meters) in height with an estimated death toll at 36,417.
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: How Loud Would The Sun Be If There Was Air In Space?
Photos: Creative Commons, Sott
Photoshop: VanityFair
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