苏门答腊海岸正在喷发的喀拉喀托火山，印度尼西亚 Anak Krakatoa volcano erupting of the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia (© Martin Rietze/Alamy)
苏门答腊海岸正在喷发的喀拉喀托火山，印度尼西亚 Anak Krakatoa volcano erupting of the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia (© Martin Rietze/Alamy)
Remembering Krakatoa
Over two days in late August 1883, Krakatoa—an uninhabited island near Indonesia—experienced one of the most destructive volcanic explosions of modern times. Ten times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the explosion obliterated all but a third of the island. The blast could be heard 3,000 miles away—it's still the loudest sound ever recorded—and triggered massive tsunamis. More than 36,000 people lost their lives, and the explosions impacted the entire world: Global temperatures dropped and skies darkened for years, causing huge crop failures. Sunsets turned a vivid red and the moon was often blue or green for years after the event due to the volcanic debris circling in the atmosphere.
The volcano we're featuring today emerged from the ruins of the giant that exploded on this day in August 1883. Anak Krakatoa, or ‘child of Krakatoa,' began to rise in 1927. Though it has yet to be as destructive as its predecessor, the juvenile volcano is highly active, and a collapse of the lava dome in December 2018 caused a massive tsunami, a reminder of just how dangerous this part of the world remains.
吉利群岛上生长着珊瑚的人工珊瑚礁，印度尼西亚 (© fenkieandreas/Getty Images Plus)
the Pura Meduwe Karang神庙中雕刻艺术家W.O.J.Nieuwenkamp的作品，印度尼西亚巴厘岛 A carving of artist W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp in the Pura Meduwe Karang temple in Bali, Indonesia (© John Elk III/Getty Images)
the Pura Meduwe Karang神庙中雕刻艺术家W.O.J.Nieuwenkamp的作品，印度尼西亚巴厘岛 A carving of artist W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp in the Pura Meduwe Karang temple in Bali, Indonesia (© John Elk III/Getty Images)
Work out on your way to work
The third Friday in May is National Bike to Work Day, which encourages commuters to try biking as a healthy and safe alternative to driving. The carving we're looking at is in Bali, Indonesia. It depicts W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, a Dutch landscape and portrait artist who rode his bike around Bali in the early 1900s, painting as he went—essentially biking to work each day. Nieuwenkamp was the first European artist to visit Bali and was influential in introducing Balinese art to Europe. The carving is part of the Pura Meduwe Karang, one of the largest temples in Bali. The temple served as an entrance to the island in the early 20th century and contains several symbols of international influence to reflect that.
