History ERUPTION

On the morning of Aug 27, 1883, the rumbling volcano of Krakatoa, off the coast of Java, stood more than 6,000 feet high with a diameter of approximately 10 miles. Later that day, this giant cone exploded so violently it was literally blown away.

This month, the Discovery Channel brings to life the story of this mammoth eruption with the premiere two-hour special Krakatoa. Featuring dramatic recreations, contemporary documentary footage and breathtaking special effects, Krakatoa premieres Aug 28 at 8pm. The programme repeats on Aug 29 at noon and Aug 31 at 5pm on UBC 25.

The effects of the volcanic explosion caused a tsunami more than 140 feet high. The eruption reduced the island of Krakatoa to a third of its former size and sent massive waves crashing onto Asian shores. Hail-sized stones fell as far as 100 miles away, and Jakarta fell into total darkness.

For many of the area's inhabitants, Armageddon had arrived. The noise of the eruption was unprecedented _ it was heard as far away as Alice Springs and Madagascar. Its power has been calculated as the equivalent of 21,000 megatonnes of nuclear explosion. More than 36,000 people were killed immediately, and countries across the globe were affected by the volcano's devastating after-effects.

The eruption of Krakatoa was one of the best-documented natural cataclysms in history; from the first indications that something was amiss to the final explosion, each step was witnessed and recorded by the Dutch settlers living in the region. Through their testimony, viewers can witness the volcano's reawakening and its final devastating eruption.

Krakatoa also examines the geological processes through which a seemingly benign, supposedly extinct volcano could have burst back to life with such ferocity and such disastrous consequences. Portions of the programme also tie the resulting tsunami destruction to the Dec 26, 2004, tsunami.

Cataclysmic blast