Tsunami from Anak Krakatoa volcano can be as high as 150 meters

According to the South China Morning Post, more than 400 people were killed after the tsunami hit the islands surrounding the Anak Krakatoa volcano. The wave created after volcanic activity led to a large erosion of the geological wall in the mountain wall and fell to the sea floor.

Recently, scientists at the University of Tokyo and Brunel University in London studied sea level data from five locations around the Anak Krakatoa volcano and then used this information to simulate a speed model. degree and direction of the tsunami, from the time when the great geological plate collapsed until the tsunami struck the mainland.

The study, published in the scientific journal Ocean Engineering, found that the debris from the volcano after falling into the sea created waves with an initial height of 100 to 150 meters above the ocean surface.

Picture 1 of Tsunami from Anak Krakatoa volcano can be as high as 150 meters
A tsunami a year ago triggered by the eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano killed more than 400 Indonesians.(Photo: AP.)

However, the wave quickly sank because of the gravity of the Earth, and also because when the large piece of geology hit the sea floor, the motivation to create the wave was no longer available.

Despite this, the scientists discovered the wave was as high as 80 meters when it struck an uninhabited island a few kilometers west of the Anak Krakatoa volcano.

"Fortunately, no one lives on that island," said Dr. Mohammad Heidarzadeh, who led the research.

"If there is a community living near the volcano within a radius of 5km, the tsunami will reach an altitude of 50-70 meters when there," said Heidarzadeh.

When the wave hit Sumatra and Java about an hour later, its altitude was only between 5 and 13 meters. But that was enough to cause serious damage, with 437 dead and 14,059 injured.

Although this is the most volcanic eruption in the 21st century, its magnitude is nothing compared to the Krakatoa volcano eruption in August 1883.

It is considered the most terrible eruption in human history, with the largest explosion having a power of up to 200 kiloton - equivalent to 13,000 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The explosion could be heard from Australia, 3,600 km away.

Dr. Heidarzadeh and his colleagues are collaborating with the Indonesian government to map the seabed in the areas surrounding the volcano, and develop a new tsunami response plan from locating the seismic fault and their risks.

The study will also identify areas at highest risk, propose countermeasures and make recommendations on how to improve public awareness of possible measures when a tsunami is imminent. .

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