Krakatoa is a volcano. So is Mount St. Helen's. In 1815 in a remote part of Indonesia, a volcano called Mount Tambora blew sky high. It caused a year of misery in the northern hemisphere refered to as the "Year Without Summer." In June it snowed on Albany, New York. In July, river ice was spotted in Pennsylvania. Livestock died and famine raged.

In 1816 it was all about albedo. Reflect the sun's rays away and it stays cool. Nuclear explosions and volcanic eruptions can make it happen.

The numbers:

• On April 5, 1815 the big volcano on the northern peninsula of Sumbawa Island, Indonesia (8.25 S, 118 E) began to erupt. Massive explosions, lava flows and ash erupted from 7pm April 10 until the explosions ceased April 15th. Smoke continued to rise from the island until late August. Volcanologists estimate this eruption was 4 times stronger than the Krakatoa blast some 70 years later. Over 100 cubic kilometers of material were blasted skyward. 71,000 people died in the blast and hot ash. The mountain was 14,000 feet tall Now it is only 9,000 feet tall, nearly a full mile shorter.

• If you think that was a blast, consider the Toba volcano which erupted 74,000 years ago. The Toba eruption lifted over 1,000 cubic kilometers of material and is believed to have nearly extinguished the human race. Mount Toba is now Lake Toba.