标签 苏门答腊 下的文章

巴尼亚群岛，苏门答腊，印度尼西亚 Banyak Islands, Sumatra, Indonesia (© fbxx/Getty Imagesz)

赞美热带 Celebrating the tropics

国际热带日

巴尼亚群岛位于印度洋海域，每年吸引数百万游客。巴尼亚群岛由99个小岛组成，这些小岛大部分都无人居住，甚至还没有名字，岛上目之所及都是纯净的沙滩、茂盛的树木和透彻的海水。这个纯净的热带天堂还非常适宜冲浪，这因此成为了完美的度假目的地，适合任何想要在平静和放松之余来一点冒险的人们。

International Day of the Tropics

On the International Day of the Tropics, we are in the Banyak Islands of Indonesia, a group of more than 70 islands, most of which are uninhabited and unnamed. The Banyak Islands offer miles of pristine sandy beaches, lush green trees, and clear waters as far as the eyes can see. This tropical paradise also boasts some great surfing and snorkeling spots and draws millions of visitors a year.

But the tropics, roughly defined as the area above and below the equator between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, face various challenges including climate change, urbanization, and high levels of poverty. They also make up approximately one-third of the Earth’s landmass and are home to about 40% of the world’s population. On June 29, International Day of the Tropics celebrates the uniqueness and biodiversity of the tropics, while highlighting their challenges and progress made to address them.

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.