Mount Tambora Erupts

Mount Tambora erupted on April 10, 1815 producing an extreme volcanic blast which ranks as one of the most powerful such events in human history. The volcanic event took place at the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. The eruption amounted to a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 7 which classified it among the largest volcanic events during the last one thousand years Mount Tambora Erupts.

The volcanic blast managed to eject a volume of 150 cubic kilometers which included 36 cubic miles of ash, rock and volcanic gases. The volcanic explosion generated sound waves which traveled more than 1,200 miles to reach human ears while volcanic ash was discovered throughout a radius of 2,000 kilometers beyond the volcano. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives because of the eruption combined with subsequent famine and disease spread across the region following it.

The Tambora eruption triggered widespread climate changes throughout the entire planet. An enormous amount of volcanic material including ash and sulfur dioxide entered the stratosphere which caused global temperature declines. The year after Tambora’s eruption led to the “Year Without a Summer” which affected European and North American territories. When crops died due to poor conditions farmers in June witnessed snow and major food shortages led to public chaos and population displacement Mount Tambora Erupts.

The volcanic eruption of Tambora returned history in a new direction both for climatic patterns and human development. The eerie climate conditions in 1816 inspired the evolution of literature since writer Mary Shelley used them to start writing the famous novel Frankenstein.

The Tambora eruption produces a timeless warning about the multisystemic environmental and agricultural outcomes and climate disruptions and societal impacts of a solitary natural occurrence.