Eruptions are a regular occurrence at Anak Krakatau<\/a>, a small volcano between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. Much of its activity remains relatively mild, but it occasionally puts on more impressive and hazardous shows of force. In early September 2026, a booming eruption lasting more than 24 hours sent gas and ash high into the atmosphere, disrupting thousands of flights and degrading air quality in parts of the country, including the capital city of Jakarta.<\/p>\n Satellites passing over the area during the eruption on September 5 captured images of the explosive activity. In the scene above, acquired with the\u00a0OLI<\/a>\u00a0(Operational Land Imager) on the NASA-USGS\u00a0Landsat 8<\/a> satellite, a white plume of volcanic gas billows over a brown ash cloud. Below, a wider view captured by the\u00a0VIIRS<\/a>\u00a0(Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the\u00a0Suomi NPP<\/a> satellite shows the volcanic material dispersing over a large area.<\/p>\n Indonesia\u2019s meteorological agency reported<\/a> that ash had reached altitudes up to 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) to the east of the volcano and 15,000 meters (50,000 feet) to the west by September 6. The presence of ash in the atmosphere prompted the temporary closure of eight airports<\/a> on Java and Sumatra, disrupting nearly 3,000 flights in and out of the area, according to news reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ashfall affected populated areas, particularly to the east of Anak Krakatau in Jakarta and other parts of West Java, the Indonesian Humanitarian Coordination Platform (IHCP) reported<\/a>. Volcanic ash poses health risks to people and can irritate the respiratory tract, eyes, and skin. However, this air quality hazard differs from the smoke produced by peatland fires<\/a> elsewhere in the country in terms of particle characteristics, dispersal patterns, and protection measures, the IHCP noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n On September 6, the continuous explosive eruption from Anak Krakatau subsided, though the volcano kept rumbling. It returned to a more typical pattern of Strombolian eruptions<\/a>, characterized by intermittent spurts of ash and volcanic material. Airports had resumed operation<\/a> by September 8, but the volcano remained at the second-highest alert level on the country\u2019s scale, as it has been since early July<\/a>.<\/p>\n NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the\u00a0U.S. Geological Survey<\/a>, and VIIRS data from NASA\u00a0EOSDIS LANCE<\/a>,\u00a0GIBS\/Worldview<\/a>, and the\u00a0Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership<\/a><\/em>. Story by Lindsey Doermann.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/esd\/eo\/images\/iotd\/2026\/anak-krakatau-rumbles-again\/krakatau_oli_20260905_lrg.jpg?w=7106&h=6909&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\nSeptember 5, 2026: Landsat<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/esd\/eo\/images\/iotd\/2026\/anak-krakatau-rumbles-again\/krakatau_vir_20260905_lrg.jpg?w=2160&h=1863&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n