The Loudest Sound Ever Made on Earth

Great Big Story visually recounted the singular natural event that caused the loudest sound in the world. This sound, measured at an incredible 310 decibels was made in 1883 by the eruption of Krakatoa, a volcano in the Sunda Strait of Indonesia. The eruption could be heard in locations as far as western Australia and caused horrific tsunamis and tidal waves. It remains one of the most deadly in history.

It was reportedly heard in more than 50 different locations and the sound wave traveled three and a half times around the planet. …It caused deadly tsunamis as far as Hawaii and South America, major drops in temperature in the Northern Hemisphere, and deeply tinted sunsets.

In fact, some have theorized that these orange sunsets caused by Krakatoa might have been depicted in “The Scream” by Edvard Munch.

In the West, some scientists have theorized that Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” depicts those vibrant orange skies. Nothing in recorded history has ever come close.