A geophysical interpretation of the 1883 Krakatau eruption |
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| Authors: | I Yokoyama |
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| Institution: | Usu Volcano Observatory, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060 Japan |
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| Abstract: | From the present submarine topography in the vicinity of the Krakatau Islands it is concluded that the focus of the large explosions was situated to the northwest of the present Rakata Island. The channel between Krakatau and Sebesi Islands was completely blocked by banks of volcanic material immediately after the eruptions, and it is suggested that this material was mainly lithic fragments.The explosion sequences of Krakatau are deduced from the records of sea-waves and air-waves observed at Jakarta. The large tsunami was caused by the most violent explosion, simultaneously with the largest air-waves. It is inferred that the origin of the tsunami was a sudden upheaval of the seawater due to a violent explosion and that the height of the tsunami near its source was 30–40 m. Energy of the explosion is estimated from analyses of the air-waves as one order of magnitude greater than that of the 1956 Bezymianny eruption; thus, the 1883 Krakatau eruption may have caused explosive removal of more than 10 km3 of material.The subsurface structure of Krakatau Islands after the 1883 eruption is deduced from gravity anomalies. It is concluded that at the bottom of the caldera there are deposits of low density in the shape of an inverted cone 8 km in diameter and 1 km in depth. From the residual gravity anomaly observed over the caldera, one can estimate the mass deficiency there. This allows estimates to be made as to the amount of ejecta. Although large uncertainties remain, these data indicate that explosive removal of material was the main process responsible for the disappearance of the northern half of the former Rakata (Krakatau) Island in the 1883 eruption. |
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