1816 was known as “The year without a summer” or “Eighteen hundred and froze to death”.

It pushed the world close to the brink of chaos.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tambora

Tambora used to be 14,000ft high. It lost about 5,000 ft in the April 1815 explosion.

I've wondered why volcanic mountains loose height. I guess big explosions cause them to loose height. They must gain in height and cone shape by small continuous eruptions.

the washed out (blown out!) side of St. Helens and to the summit of Rainier.

is just no telling when one that is that powerful or stronger will happen.

I watched a documentary about Krakatoa some years back - and started reading about it after.
I learn something knew on DU every day - thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa
<snip>
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) began in the afternoon of Sunday, 26 August 1883 (with origins as early as May of that year), and peaked in the late morning of Monday, 27 August when over 70% of the island and its surrounding archipelago were destroyed as it collapsed into a caldera. Additional seismic activity was reported to have continued until February 1884, though reports of seismic activity after October 1883 were later dismissed by Rogier Verbeek's investigation into the eruption. The 1883 eruption was one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history. At least 36,417 deaths are attributed to the eruption and the tsunamis it created. Significant additional effects were also felt around the world in the days and weeks after the volcano's destruction.

When the caldera goes, it will be near nuclear winter level.

i thought i had heard a while back that the entire island was evacuated at one stage , i could be wrong .

Evacuations to 10 kms.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-27/mt-agung-indonesia-authorities-extend-volcano-evacuation-zone/9196194

Bali volcano: Indonesian disaster agency warns Mt Agung could erupt 'anytime', extends evacuation zone
By Indonesia correspondent Adam Harvey
Updated 9 minutes ago

More than 400 flights have been cancelled with around 59,000 people affected after Bali's main airport was closed amid warnings of a potential volcanic eruption that could happen at any time.

Indonesian authorities have raised the Mt Agung volcano alert to the highest level and have ordered people within 10 kilometres to evacuate, as the country's disaster management agency warned "a potential eruption could happen anytime".

Mt Agung has been hurling ash thousands of metres into the atmosphere, which forced the small international airport on the island of Lombok to close on Sunday as the plumes drifted east.

All flights in and out of Bali have been cancelled and passengers on the tarmac have been disembarked, after the 6-kilometre-high volcanic ash cloud that had been blowing towards Lombok shifted towards Denpasar.