Science - Seeking Answers to History's Mysteries

[Minimalist]

While religion just offers the same old fucking claptrap over and over!

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/...r-be-alive

Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’

Ask medieval historian Michael McCormick what year was the worst to be alive, and he's got an answer: "536." Not 1349, when the Black Death wiped out half of Europe. Not 1918, when the flu killed 50 million to 100 million people, mostly young adults. But 536. In Europe, "It was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year," says McCormick, a historian and archaeologist who chairs the Harvard University Initiative for the Science of the Human Past.

A mysterious fog plunged Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia into darkness, day and night—for 18 months. "For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during the whole year," wrote Byzantine historian Procopius.

Doubtless some fucking monk was praying for it to stop!

[ignoramus]

Was it Volcanic ash or something? What do the experts think was the cause...

[The Valkyrie]

I thought the same thing initially.

But it's described as a fog, which doesn't seem to fit a volcano.

[Anomalocaris]

Sulfates emitted by volcanos is well documented to produce a “dry fog”.

The large eruption of Laki in Iceland in 1783 caused similar widespread dry fog across Europe and shortening of growing season.  The privation caused is thought to have contributed to the French Revolution in 1786.

I think it is now well established that the 536 climate event coincides with a very large Plinian volcanic eruption at Ilopango Caldera in El Salvador, comparable in size to the 1814 eruption of Tambora volcano in Indonesia that caused the “year without summer”.   In addition, there was also another very large effusive volcanic eruption in Iceland between 536-540 of the type that would produce dry fogs in Europe, which may have prolonged and increased the effect.

It has long been strongly suspected the 536 event was volcano driven, but it has been puzzling that an eruption large enough to have done this could remain unidentified.  But as it turns out the Ilopango eruption was known, but has long been misdated to 440.   However recently published carbon 14 dating of trees destroyed during that eruption places the eruption at precisely 536 CE.

[ignoramus]

Thanks Chuck... You've always been the go to man for this stuff...

[Shell B]

You guys beat me to it. Sounds distinctly like a volcanic eruption. A southeast Asian eruption gave New England a year without a summer. I can't recall the date, but it was devastating.

[Minimalist]

1816


https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2.../84855694/

[Shell B]

Thank you. I probably should've Googled, but I'm pretty lazy.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I see the hand of God in action here.

[Minimalist]