The Anak Krakatau volcano erupted in Indonesia early Sunday, sending up volcanic ash that drifted across western parts of the country and prompting widespread flight cancellations, according to Globalnews. The volcanic island, situated in the Sunda Strait between the main islands of Java and Sumatra, had displayed signs of activity starting Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday, followed by another 16-second eruption approximately three hours later, as reported by ctvnews.ca.
Anak Krakatau Erupts, Stranding Thousands and Halting Flights
By Sunday evening, the resulting closures across eight airports affected 170,000 passengers due to 1,558 canceled flights, including 963 flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport alone, as noted by theglobeandmail.com. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, alongside six other airports including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi confirmed that international routes connecting Indonesia to Singapore, Sydney, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur were also impacted, while urging airlines to explore diversions and expedite ticket refunds, according to legit.ng.
Ash Clouds and Regional Disruption
Satellite imagery analyzed by Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two massive ash clouds. One plume reached an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and nearby waters. A second cloud climbed to 50,000 feet (15,200 meters), spreading over parts of Banten, Lampung, and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait, and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra, according to 1news.co.nz.
Volcanic ash also descended on populated areas, causing eye irritation and thick residue for residents near the region. Authorities reported no casualties and issued no immediate evacuation orders, noting that the nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers away. However, officials warned residents and visitors to maintain a distance of at least three kilometers from the active crater, and local measures were introduced to reduce students’ exposure to ashfall.
Volcano History and Ongoing Unrest
Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, stated that activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, making Sunday’s activity the strongest during the current period of unrest. The repeated eruptions point to a continued supply of magma and volcanic gases beneath the surface, although officials cannot predict whether a larger eruption will follow. Main hazards include volcanic ash, high gas concentrations, and the ejection of hot rocks around the crater.
Anak Krakatau—meaning child of Krakatau
—emerged from the sea within the caldera left by the monumental 1883 eruption of Krakatau, which triggered a period of global cooling. An eruption of Anak Krakatau in December 2018 triggered an underwater landslide that caused part of the southwest slope to collapse, displacing a large volume of water and generating a tsunami that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java. Scientists noted that the island was reduced to about a quarter of its original size following that disaster.
