In 1815 one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history happened. In the spring of 1815, Mount Tambora in today’s Indonesia erupted so violently that sounds of it could be heard 1600 miles away.
The formerly 14,100 ft tall mountain lost over 4,500 ft of its height through the explosion.
What makes this spectacle so interesting beyond the sheer force of the eruption is what followed in its aftermath. So much sulfur dioxide was released into the stratosphere that it affected the entire climate on earth. Global temperatures decreased by 0.7–1.3°F (0.4 – 0.7°C), which caused the Year Without a Summer.
All over the world harvests failed, and diseases spread. Especially in Europe, this caused food riots and violence in many countries. It was the worst famine of the 18th century in Europe.
Until yesterday I never heard of this before. Now 200 years later we are facing a climate change in the other direction. And it will also have a global impact…