The year was 1816. Europe and North America had just emerged from a devastating series of wars and were on the path to recovery. However, nature had other plans. After two years of poor harvests, the spring brought heavy rains and cold, causing rivers to flood and crops to fail from the British Isles to Switzerland. Odd-colored snow fell in Italy and Hungary, leading to famine, food riots, and disease epidemics. Meanwhile, New England was blanketed by a strange fog that wouldn’t disperse, and the ground remained frozen well into June. This period came to be known as “the Year Without a Summer,” and some thought the apocalypse had begun.
People had no way of knowing that the real source of their misfortunes had occurred a year ago, thousands of miles away. The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa was a supervolcano, characterized by a volume of erupted material many times greater than that of ordinary volcanoes. While the popular image of volcanic destruction is molten rock engulfing the surrounding land, far greater devastation is caused by what remains in the air.
Volcanic ash, dispersed by wind, can blanket the sky for days, while toxic gases, such as sulfur dioxide, react in the stratosphere, blocking out solar radiation and drastically cooling the atmosphere below. The resulting volcanic winter, along with other effects such as acid rain, can affect multiple continents, disrupting natural cycles and annihilating the plant life on which other organisms, including humans, depend.
Releasing nearly 160 cubic kilometers of rock, ash, and gas, the Mount Tambora eruption was the largest in recorded history, causing as many as 90,000 deaths. But previous eruptions have been even more deadly. The 1600 eruption of Peru’s Huaynaputina likely triggered the Russian famine that killed nearly two million, while more ancient eruptions have been blamed for major world events, such as the fall of the Chinese Xia Dynasty, the disappearance of the Minoan civilization, and even a genetic bottleneck in human evolution that may have resulted from all but a few thousand human beings being wiped out 70,000 years ago.
One of the most dangerous types of supervolcano is an explosive caldera, formed when a volcanic mountain collapses after an eruption so large that the now-empty magma chamber can no longer support its weight. But though the above-ground volcano is gone, the underground volcanic activity continues. With no method of release, magma and volcanic gases continue to accumulate and expand underground, building up pressure until a massive and violent explosion becomes inevitable. And one of the largest active volcanic calderas lies right under Yellowstone National Park.
Scientists are currently monitoring the world’s active volcanoes, and procedures for predicting eruptions, conducting evacuations, and diverting lava flows have improved over the years. But the massive scale and global reach of a supervolcano means that for many people there would be nowhere to run. Fortunately, the current data shows no evidence of such an eruption occurring in the next few thousand years. But the idea of a sudden and unavoidable civilization-destroying apocalypse caused by events half a globe away will remain a powerful and terrifying vision. Less fictional than we would like to believe.
Research another significant volcanic eruption in history. Create a presentation that includes the eruption’s date, location, immediate effects, and long-term impacts on the environment and human societies. Share your findings with the class.
Use an online climate simulation tool to model the effects of a volcanic eruption on global temperatures. Adjust variables such as the amount of sulfur dioxide released and the duration of the eruption. Record and analyze the changes in climate patterns over time.
Write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of someone living in 1816 during “the Year Without a Summer.” Describe their daily struggles, the unusual weather, and their thoughts on the cause of these events. Share your story with your classmates.
Participate in a class debate on the topic: “Are we adequately prepared for a supervolcano eruption?” Research current monitoring techniques, evacuation plans, and potential global impacts. Present arguments for or against the adequacy of current preparedness measures.
Create a model of a volcanic eruption using baking soda, vinegar, and other household materials. Observe and record the reaction, then discuss how this small-scale model relates to real volcanic eruptions. Explain the role of gases and pressure in causing eruptions.
year – the time taken by a planet to make one revolution around the sun – She celebrated her birthday every year with a big party.
without – in the absence of – He went to work without his umbrella and got soaked in the rain.
summer – the warmest season of the year, occurring between spring and autumn – We went to the beach every weekend during the summer.
eruption – the act or process of ejecting matter, such as lava, ash, or gases, from a volcano – The volcanic eruption created a massive ash cloud that covered the sky.
mount – to climb or ascend a mountain or hill – We decided to mount the steep hill to enjoy the breathtaking view from the top.
Tambora – a volcano located on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia, known for its powerful eruption in 1815 – The eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 was one of the most catastrophic volcanic events in history.
volcanic – relating to or produced by a volcano or volcanoes – The volcanic activity in the area resulted in the formation of new islands.
winter – the coldest season of the year, occurring between autumn and spring – The children built a snowman during the winter holidays.
supervolcano – a volcano capable of producing an eruption with a volcanic explosivity index of 8, the highest level – The Yellowstone Caldera is an example of a supervolcano that has the potential for a major eruption.
caldera – a large volcanic crater, typically formed by the collapse of a volcano’s summit – The caldera of Mount Vesuvius is now a popular tourist attraction.
