A volcanic eruption produced the loudest sound in the world.
The sound of the Krakatoa eruption in 1883 caused shock waves 10,000 times more powerful than that of an hydrogen bomb and shattered the eardrums of sailers over almost 40 miles away.
The loudest noise in history was produced by the Krakatoa volcanic eruption on August 27, 1883. The Krakatoa’s explosion registered 172 decibels at 100 miles from the source.
Residents of New Guinea and Western Australia (3,200 km or 1,300 miles away) reported hearing “a series of loud booms, resembling those of artillery in a north-westerly direction.”
Locals on the island of Rodrigues (4,800 km or 3000 miles away) reported hearing what sounded to them like the distant roar of heavy gun fire.
In overall, the sound of the Krakatoa volcanic eruption has been heard by people across 50 different geological locations around the world.
Completely Crazy
Now, take your breath listen to the noise in the video below and think, for a moment, just how crazy this is.
As Nautilus explains:
If you’re in Boston and someone tells you that they heard a sound coming from New York City, you’re probably going to give them a funny look. But Boston is a mere 200 miles from New York. What we’re talking about here is like being in Boston and clearly hearing a noise coming from Dublin, Ireland. Travelling at the speed of sound (766 miles or 1,233 kilometers per hour), it takes a noise about 4 hours to cover that distance. This is the most distant sound that has ever been heard in recorded history.
The Day Of Judgement Has Come
The British ship Norham Castle was 40 miles from Krakatoa at the time of the explosion.
The ship’s captain wrote in his log, “So violent are the explosions that the eardrums of over half my crew have been shattered. My last thoughts are with my dear wife. I am convinced that the Day of Judgement has come.”
The Krakatoa Eruption
The Krakatoa volcano erupted on August 27, 1883 with a force so great that it tore its island apart, emitting a plume of smoke that reached 17 miles into the atmosphere.
This explosion created a deadly tsunami with waves over a hundred feet (30 meters) in height, which ended up decimating 160 villages and settlements along the shores of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. In all, the Dutch – colonial rulers of Indonesia at the time – estimated the death toll at 36,417, while other estimates exceed 120,000.
The last Krakatoa eruption has been called the greatest natural disaster of the 19th century. Shock waves from the eruption travelled around the world several times, and created a tsunami over 45 metres tall. The force of the blast was 10,000 times that of a hydrogen bomb. [Nautil.US]
It’s probably not as impressibe but it’s a must: Impressive video of the Tavurvur volcano eruption and shock wave!
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