Laki eruption
On this day in 1783, the biggest lava eruption in recent history began at Laki in Iceland. The Laki eruption wasn’t an explosive one like those at Mount St Helens or Mount Vesuvius, yet it had a devastating impact in Iceland, Europe, and around the world. Over the next eight months about 14 cubic km of lava erupted from fissures alongside Mount Laki. As the lava poured out, so did volcanic gases, including an estimated 80 million tonnes of sulfuric acid. More than 20% of Iceland’s population died from the famine caused by the death of crops and livestock. Much of Europe was engulfed in haze. The enormous amount of aerosols injected into the atmosphere had a global impact too, with the Northern Hemisphere experiencing a roughly 1 °C drop in temperature. (Photo credit: Chmee2/Valtameri, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Date in History: 8 June 1783
