The deadly eruption for which Krakatoa is most famous began on August 26, 1883, and lasted for over 24 hours. More than 36,000 people died on nearby islands due to the pyroclastic flows and tsunamis generated by the eruption.
The volcano had been inactive for more than two hundred years when a series of earthquakes shook the area in early 1883. Pressure from released lava began to mount because of a solid lava plug in the central vent. When the pressure became too strong, the volcano erupted in a series of four massive explosions on August 26 and 27.
Geologists believe that most of the deaths caused by the eruption can be attributed to the tsunamis that followed. Tsunamis were generated by pyroclastic flows plunging into the sea, according to the San Diego State University website.
A pyroclastic flow resembles an avalanche moving at hurricane-force speeds after an eruption. They are caused when watery hot fragments combine with expanding gas and flow down the mountain because the mixture is heavier than air.
