Anak Krakatau Grows

The lengthy eruptions of Anak Krakatau in early September 2026 included lava flows that increased the size of the island by 32.8 hectares (81 acres) along its western and southwestern coasts. The visualization above is derived from radiometric terrain-corrected synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatter data from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR). 

NISAR can observe Earth's surface in light or darkness and through clouds and smoke, making it ideal for monitoring changing surface conditions. It images the same area of the earth every 12 days. Press play in the lower left corner to observe the growth of the island between August 13 and September 30, 2026.

The volcanic island first emerged from the rubble of the historic 1883 eruption of Krakatau. Forty-four years after the explosive eruption that blew the island of Krakatau apart, Anak Krakatau formed (1927) in the caldera that was left behind.

These surface reflectance images (nadir BRDF-adjusted) show the Indonesian volcanic island before and after the 2026 eruptions. The left image was acquired on August 8 by the MSI instrument aboard the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2A platform; the right image was acquired on September 20 by MSI on Sentinel-2B. Both images are included in the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset, which provides consistent 30-meter surface reflectance data from the USGS-NASA Landsat 8 and 9 platforms and ESA's Sentinel-2 platforms. Swipe the center bar left and right to see the changes. 

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