Judy Baker, age 14, of Spokane, Wash., for her question:

What was the worlds worst volcanic eruption?

In ancient times, the world was rocked with furious volcanos.  Even the fiercest eruptions today are tame compared with those upheavals. Only once in modern times has a volcano effected the whole earth. This happened on August 27, 1883,

You will find the spot on your map of Indonesia. The islands of Java and Sumatra are separated by the Sunda Strait, In that strait is a small island marked Krakatoa, This is the location of the most violent volcanic eruption of recorded history.

Krakatoa was a restless island volcano, Superheated vapor way below ground caused it to explode. The sound was heard over 2000 miles, The shock waves traveled around and around the earth. Dust blew miles into the air and stayed aloft for over a year, coloring the dawns and sunsets all over the world. The 1400 foot volcanic peak disappeared in the explosion, leaving a hole 1000 feet below the surface of the sea,