Swiss researchers help to pinpoint 200-year-old volcanic eruption
Mystery of mysterious volcanic eruption 300 years ago solved
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Swiss researchers help to pinpoint 200-year-old volcanic eruption
A research team with Swiss participation has located which volcano was behind a mysterious 1831 eruption that impacted climate and crops across the world.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Deutsch
de
Rätsel um mysteriösen Vulkanausbruch vor 300 Jahren gelöst
Original
In a study published on Monday in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers identified the Zavaritskii volcano on the Kuril Islands, between Japan and Russia, as the probable source of the eruption.
During the 1831 eruption, so much sulphur was spewed into the atmosphere that the Earth’s climate cooled by up to 1°C. The eruption also led to less rainfall in Africa and India, which resulted in severe famines, the researchers explained.
Yet despite this substantial impact, the location of the eruption remained unknown until now.
To solve the mystery, the research team analysed various ice cores from Greenland containing traces of sulphur and volcanic ash from the period. The analysis of the sulphur isotopes showed that the cloud of lava and ash reached as far as the earth’s stratosphere.
By analysing the particles’ chemical composition and comparing them with known volcanoes, scientists could determine that the chemical composition of the ash best matched a volcano on the island of Simushir in the Kuril Islands. On-site investigations confirmed that this volcano erupted in the last 300 years.
Two researchers from the University of Bern, Peter Abbott and Michael Sigl, were involved in the study, which was led by William Hutchison from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Translated from German by DeepL/dos
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
What lies ahead for Switzerland: an economic outlook for 2025
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
This content was published on
Swiss singer Bernie Constantin, who made a name for himself with the 1980s songs 'Switzerland Reggae' and 'Lola Berlingo' has died aged 77.
Jungfrau Railways takes over a million guests to the Jungfraujoch
This content was published on
In 2024, the Jungfrau Railway Group transported more than a million passengers to the Jungfraujoch for the second year in a row.
This content was published on
Thomas A. Bär, former Julius Bär bank chair and co-founder of law firm Bär & Karrer, passed away on December 24, 2024 aged 87.
Former Swiss minister slams government ‘silence’ on EU deal
This content was published on
Former Swiss government minister Ruth Dreifuss says the current government has shown a lack of leadership on the issue of relations with the European Union.
Researchers find high microbial diversity in glacial streams
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have discovered a surprising diversity of microorganisms in glacial streams around the world. However, this diversity is under threat as soon as it is discovered.
This content was published on
Fewer electric cars were sold in Switzerland in 2024 compared to the previous year. The electric mobility association Swiss eMobility says this is only a temporary dip.
This content was published on
Sunshine and fresh snow attracted winter sports fans to Swiss ski resorts over the holiday period. Many ski stations reported record figures.
New Year’s speech: President Keller-Sutter praises Swiss modesty
This content was published on
The Swiss president for 2025, Karin Keller-Sutter, has underlined the importance of compromise and modesty in Swiss politics in her New Year’s address to the nation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.