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Anak Krakatau volcano

Kartavya Desk Staff

Source: Scitechdaily

Context:. A new study reveals that Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano, which collapsed catastrophically in 2018 causing a deadly tsunami, showed warning signs years in advance.

About Anak Krakatau Volcano:

Location: Anak Krakatau (“Child of Krakatoa”) is located in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia.

Volcano Type: Stratovolcano

Tectonic Context: Situated at the convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates. It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone encircling the Pacific Ocean.

• It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone encircling the Pacific Ocean.

2018 Disaster: In December 2018, its southwest flank collapsed into the sea during an eruption, generating a tsunami that killed over 400 people and injured thousands more.

New Research & Discovery:

Technology used: InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar): Satellite-based remote sensing that detects surface deformation within centimetre to millimetre accuracy. Data was sourced from ALOS-1, COSMO-SkyMED, and Sentinel-1 satellites over a 10+ year period. Findings The volcano’s flank slipped ~15 meters between 2006 and 2018. Acceleration of slip observed months before the 2018 collapse — a key precursor to disaster.

Technology used: InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar): Satellite-based remote sensing that detects surface deformation within centimetre to millimetre accuracy. Data was sourced from ALOS-1, COSMO-SkyMED, and Sentinel-1 satellites over a 10+ year period.

InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar): Satellite-based remote sensing that detects surface deformation within centimetre to millimetre accuracy.

• Data was sourced from ALOS-1, COSMO-SkyMED, and Sentinel-1 satellites over a 10+ year period.

Findings The volcano’s flank slipped ~15 meters between 2006 and 2018. Acceleration of slip observed months before the 2018 collapse — a key precursor to disaster.

• The volcano’s flank slipped ~15 meters between 2006 and 2018.

Acceleration of slip observed months before the 2018 collapse — a key precursor to disaster.

Broader Implications:

• Highlights the risk of collapse in ocean volcanoes and potential for tsunami generation. Ground-based GPS is often impractical in such regions due to cost, terrain, and safety issues. Real-time InSAR processing offers a promising solution for early detection in remote areas.

• Highlights the risk of collapse in ocean volcanoes and potential for tsunami generation.

Ground-based GPS is often impractical in such regions due to cost, terrain, and safety issues.

Real-time InSAR processing offers a promising solution for early detection in remote areas.

AI-assisted content, editorially reviewed by Kartavya Desk Staff.

About Kartavya Desk Staff

Articles in our archive published before our editorial team was expanded. Legacy content is periodically reviewed and updated by our current editors.

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