View from space: Anak Krakatau volcano eruption
Earth Trekker by Deanna Conners Sep 07, 2012

On September 4, 2012 NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite captured an image of lava flowing down the southeastern flank of the volcano Anak Krakatau, or “Child of Krakatau.” The fresh lava has extended the shoreline of the volcanic island by about 100 meters (330 feet), according to a report issued by NASA’s Earth Observatory.

The volcano is located just east of Jakarta, Indonesia in the Sundra Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. In 1883, a cataclysmic explosion destroyed Krakatau’s caldera and killed 36,417 people.

It’s said that the sound created by the 1883 explosion was the loudest sound heard in modern history. People reported hearing the explosion from nearly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) away.

Anak Krakatau is growing in height at an average rate of about 5 meters (16 feet) per year. Before the historic 1883 eruption, Anak Krakatau stood at approximately 813 meters (2667 feet) above sea level, according to the Global Volcanism Program.

In other words, the child is growing up!

[link to earthsky.org]