In the years following the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, a series of small volcanic islands began to form in the crater left by the explosion.  One of these islands, which broke the surface of the Sunda Straight on January 25^th, 1925, is Anak Krakatau, or “Child of Krakatoa.”  Formed from the steaming pumice and ash that still oozed from the caldera, Anak Krakatau became noticeably active, with weak, staggered eruptions, in 1927, shortly after breaking the surface of the ocean.

            Beginning in 1959, the growing volcanic island’s eruptions grew longer and more intense, with seismic activity lasting in several cases for years at a time.  Scientists have been looking at the island with interest for several decades as it continued to erupt, growing larger with each eruption, rebuilding the island that was destroyed so many years ago.  As the island continues to grow, it is likely that it will erupt in the distant future with equal destructive force as Krakatoa, though it is not likely to do so for a few hundred years.