What is the largest eruption in history?

Posted by Keshav Jain on

The largest and most deadly eruption in recorded history was the 1815 explosion of Mt. Tambora in Indonesia. It ranked 7, which is considered ‘super-colossal’ on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI).

The blast was one of the most powerful ever documented in human history and killed more than 100,000 people directly and indirectly. It was heard more than 1,930 kilometres away on Sumatra Island. Large tsunamis with wave heights of 10 m or more are believed to have occurred as a result of this explosion.

The ash from the eruption dispersed around the world, obscuring the sun and increasing the reflectivity of Earth. This lowered global temperatures and led to what is called a volcanic winter. As a result of this, the year 1816 is known as the year without a summer. It triggered famines in Europe. These gloomy conditions are often cited as reasons for the inspiration of horror tales like ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley.

Picture Credit : Google

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