The massive eruption by the long dormant volcano two years earlier caused about half the population to leave the island.

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In 1883, a massive eruption of a volcano on the island of Krakatoa in the Sundra Strait between Java and Sumatra began.

CNN: Wednesday,

In the video below from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, we see a massive filament eruption.

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But few are prepared for a massive volcanic eruption that threatens to leave them stranded for days.

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Known collectively as the Crater Lakes, their 65m deep, tranquil ultramarine waters belie a violent past: both were formed anywhere from 17, 000 to 10, 000 years ago by a massive volcanic eruption.

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The statement comes after years of hardship for Iceland, which suffered the collapse of its financial system in 2008 and a massive 2010 volcano eruption that shut down international travel in the region.

CNN: John D. Sutter,

Oh, and when they say massive, they really mean it, with the eruption apparently reaching out about a half a million miles into space.

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It is the first serious eruption of the volcano chain since 1960, when the area was hit by a massive earthquake.

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