Krakatoa (2005)

Editor's Note In 1883, Indonesia's Krakatoa volcano unleashed a massive eruption that triggered one of the worst natural disasters in modern history. After being dormant for nearly two centuries, the volcano began emitting steam in May 1883 and finally erupted in August of that year, producing six-mile-high ash clouds and a sonic explosion that was heard as far away as Australia and Mauritius (and continues to remain the world's loudest recorded sound). In addition to reducing the size of Krakatoa island by two-thirds, the eruption generated a 100-foot tsunami that destroyed hundreds of villages and killed 36,000 people throughout the Sumatra and Java regions. This PBS documentary recounts Krakatoa's infamous eruption through dramatic recreations and computer-enhanced imagery, as well as comparisons to the deadly tsunami that rocked southeast Asia in December 2004.