western parts of the island due to the ash cloud blowing in that direction. In his portrayal of the catastrophe, Rogier Verbeek depicts that Rakata's northern half was destroyed, along with the central part of the island, during the largest explosion, which occurred at 10:02 am on 27 August. Verbeek surmised that unlike Danan and Perboewatan, Rakata was not directly above the magma chamber, being connected only by a fissure which lay along the cleavage line of the caldera. However, examining the cliff from the air indicates two arcs, the second of which seems to be due to later (post-1883) landslides of unstable cliff material. In surveys made a few months after the catastrophe, Rakata's height is given as 830 m, compared to 820 m before, however this may be due to inaccuracy of the earlier surveys. Verbeek reports that the cleavage was approximately at the old summit. The remnant of Rakata grew rather considerably in area due to falling pumice. However, most of the increased area (largely to the west and southeast) was washed away within several years by wave action. Due to the severity of the eruption, leaving very little flora and fauna alive, Rakata has been used as a modern study on biological island colonization. Recent activity There are no dated reports of eruptions from Rakata since the 1883 catastrophe, although tentative datings have been made from dating ash deposits left. Subsequent activity of Krakatoa seems to be limited to the area that had been between Danan (volcano) and Perboewatan, where Anak Krakatoa has arisen, starting in 1927. Rakata itself is extinct since its conduit has been virtually destroyed. References Further reading Furneaux, Rupert; Krakatoa (1964) Simkin & Fiske; Krakatau 1883: The Volcanic Eruption & Its Effects (1983) See also List of volcanoes in Indonesia Volcanic cones Sunda Strait Krakatoa