Gudmundsson, Magnús T., and Gudrún Larsen. In 1879, Icelandic geologist Thorvaldur Thoroddsen stumbled upon the manuscript at the Royal Library in Copenhagen and subsequently published part of it in 1879. Courtillot, Vincent. It was part of a larger volcanic system focused on the highly active central volcano of Grímsvötn, which would itself remain highly active until the spring of 1785. [Source: Benjamin West [Public domain]]Benjamin Franklin further speculated, in May 1784, that there also was a connection between the dry fog and the extremely cold winter of 1783/1784. [13] Other earthquakes occurred throughout the summer: On July 6, an earthquake shook parts of France, and was felt in Franche-Comté, the Jura, Burgundy, and Geneva. 7 (2005): 641-651. “Further Documentary Evi-dence of Northern Hemispheric Coverage of the Great Dry Fog of 1783.” Climatic Change 39, no. 38 (2011) :15710–15715. Stars and planets became invisible in the lower degrees above the horizon—very similar to the appearance of smog in large cities today. So naturally, the large volumes of lava travelled downhill towards the coastal plains. An unusual anticyclonic weather pattern above Europe, a quasi-stationary high-pressure cell, funneled the Laki gases down to the surface level, where it materialized as a sulfuric-smelling dry fog. A map of the Earth’s fire canals (Subterraneus Pyrophylaciorum), which he believed to connect all the volcanoes in the world. “Watch your Step! LARHRA (Laboratoire de recherches historiques Rhône-Alpes) - UMR CNRS 5190, speciality: History of territories (urban territories, mountain territories, risk territories), 2. The Vatnajökull National Park was established in 2008 and now also incorporates the Laki Fissure (Figure 10). Aerostation and Adventurism.” ISIS 75, no 2 (1984): 249-268. An estimated 42 billion tons of basalt lava, as well as poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide were released into … “L’éruption du Lakagígar en Island ou ‘Annus mirabilis 1783’. Iceland is often referred to as a land of “ice and fire.” It’s home to many volcanoes and, due to its location in the North Atlantic and its proximity to the Arctic Circle several glaciers. London: Viking, 2003. American Meteorological Society: Lancaster Press, 1968. Natural hazards are an integral part of the history of our planet. The Laki eruption is the worst catastrophe in the country's relatively short history. Iceland’s 1100 Years. It also had an effect on the temperature. [1], Figure 3. By the time Laki stopped erupting in February 1784, it had spewed out over eight millions tons of the highly toxic chemical flourine. However, due to adverse weather conditions, the surveyors did not arrive until the spring of 1784. Laki Mountain is approximately 820 meters high and stands 300 meters over its surrounding area deep in the highland of Iceland. [21] Demarée, Gaston R, and Astrid E. J. Ogilvie. History of a Marginal Society. Once the quorum was reached and the treaty was ratified, it was difficult to get a passage across the Atlantic Ocean in order to bring it to Paris to exchange it with the ratified treaty of the British. After his sermon, known as the “fire sermon,” the parishioners were astonished to find the lava in the same spot where it had been when mass began. The reports were surprisingly accurate in describing the process of a volcanic eruption and it is debatable whether these were genuine explanation attempts to describe the origin of the dry fog locally or whether they were clever hoaxes to spread fear. … [9] It varied in density, winds from the northwest seemed to strengthen it, whereas winds from the south seemed to disperse it. It remains unclear if it was indeed this fog that caused this, or an unrelated outbreak of another kind. In Germany, the water levels of late February 1784 produced the highest or second highest flood markers ever recorded for some regions. In Europe, there was heavy snow, which resulted in major floods along several central and western European rivers in February and March of 1784. In the eastern United States, the winter average temperature was 4.8 degrees C below the 225 year average. Home / Iceland’s Laki Fissure Eruption of 1783 Environmental Impacts of the Laki Fissure Eruption Because the Laki eruption took place within an era and a geographic location in which written records were kept, researchers know a lot about the environmental impacts. In addition, neighboring Grímsvötn central volcano was frequently active during the period from May 1783 to May 1785. “Living in the Time of a Subsurface Revolution: The 1783 Calabrian Earthquake Sequence.” Arcadia: Explorations in Environmental History, Summer Volume 2019, forthcoming. In 1783 the slopes around Mount Laki in the southeast of Iceland started to crack open, caused by the pulling apart of tectonic plates. They realized for the first time that volcanic eruptions can have impacts on the sky and weather phenomena far, far away from the actual volcano. “Mortality in England during the 1783-4 Laki Cra-ters eruption.” Bulletin of Volcanology 67, 15–26. There are studies for England and France that analyze whether the heat, the dry fog, or several factors together may have caused a higher than usual mortality rate in the population. New York: Springer, 2001. Indeed, the grape harvest of 1783 seemed to have been extraordinarily successful, most likely aided by the very warm summer. Corrigendum to ‘Atmospheric effects in Scotland of the AD 1783–84 Laki eruption in Iceland’ Abstract Four diarists in eastern and northern Scotland describe the near-simultaneous occurrence of discrete groups of days characterised by ‘foggy’, ‘gloomy’ and ‘hazy’ conditions during June and July 1783. Icelanders were able to evacuate before the lava arrived. In Iceland, the haze lead to the loss of most of the island's livestock (by eating fluorine contaminated grass), crop failure (by acid rain), and the death of one-quarter of the human residents (by famine). Grímsvötn. [17] Benjamin Franklin, the American ambassador to the United States, naturalist, and inventor, who was in Paris at the time, speculated whether “the tails of these great burning balls” might have caused the dry fog. “New Evidence for Massive Pollution and Mortality in Europe in 1783-1784 may have bearing on global change and mass extinctions.” Comptes Rendus Geoscience 337 (2005): 635-637. It is important to understand the consequences of Icelandic volcanic eruptions on Europe and the northern hemisphere so that we may act accordingly in the future. The term “Laki” was suggested by Norwegian geologist Amund Helland almost one hundred years after the eruption, it was also chosen for its brevity and easiness to pronounce. The Laki (Skaftár Fires) fissure eruption in southern Iceland lasted for eight months during 1783 to 1784, and produced one of the largest basaltic lava flows in historic times (14.7±1.0 km 3 ). Iceland performs well in many indices that measure quality of life, happiness, and equality. Photo of main fissure at Laki by Thor Thordarson. The earthquake of February 5, 1783. [6] Vasey, Daniel E. “Population, Agriculture, and Famine: Iceland, 1784-1785.” Human Ecology 19, no. In June of 1783, the Laki volcano in Iceland started an 8-month-long eruption sequence, including 10 explosive eruptions and continuous emission into the lower atmosphere. Laki, 1783-1784. It was only in 1794, that Icelandic naturalist and physician Sveinn Pálsson discovered the Laki Fissure in the highlands. The total amount of lava produced covers an area of 599 square kilometers. This is particularly unusual, as normally cooling is expected after a large volcanic eruption. Bungay, UK: Profile Books, 2014. Could these phenomena possibly all be connected? [18] Brazdil, Rudolf, Gaston R. Demarée, Mathias Deutsch, et al. 5 (2006): 878-898. Figure 10. At the time, an extraterrestrial origin of meteors was not yet widely accepted: There was no clear distinction between meteors and comets. The Laki eruption illustrates that low energy, large volume, long duration basaltic eruptions can have climatic impacts greater than large volume explosive silica-rich eruptions. [Source: Psiĥedelisto (add fault lines), Chris.urs-o (iceland outline) [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]On June 8, 1783, it began. To cite this article: KLEEMAN Katrin (2021), The Laki Fissure eruption, 1783-1784, Encyclopedia of the Environment, [online ISSN 2555-0950] url : https://www.encyclopedie-environnement.org/en/society/laki-fissure-eruption-1783-1784/. [Source: Henry Robinson / The Trustees of the British Museum. [4]. During the summer of 1783, the contemporaries in Europe were left alone to speculate about the fog’s origin. Pálsson described his discovery in his manuscript, which he sent to Copenhagen, but remained unpublished for financial reasons. 1 (2011): 19-28. On 8 June, 1783, the young country of Iceland - inhabited for less than 1,000 years - had a population of 50,000. The Extraordinary Story of Laki, the Volcano that Turned Eighteenth-Century Europe Dark. In the last few decades, Iceland has become a popular tourist destination and Iceland is welcoming record numbers of tourists each year. The craters that they formed are large and impressive. This map is from Athanasius Kircher’s Mundus Subterraneus, 1668. Among them, a sulfuric-smelling dry fog that lasted for several weeks and that was observable from around June 16 in most parts of Europe and beyond. However, in Iceland, the next volcanic eruption is never far away: On average, Iceland sees a volcanic eruption every 3-5 years. At the same time, chemical reactions on metal were observed, structures rusted or turned green. Haze from the eruption was reported from Iceland to Syria. This extreme event during the Little Ice Age shows how contemporaries dealt with sudden and extreme weather changes, these lessons may become very useful in our own present and future in a warming world. Winter temperatures in the US dropped almost 10F and stayed below normal for several years. Thoroddsen, Th. (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). ]On August 18, 1783, another phenomenon made people turn their heads skyward: A very bright and unusually long-lasting meteor, called “the Great Meteor of 1783” was visible from Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (Figure 8). Iceland was under a Danish trade monopoly, which meant that only certain Danish merchants were allowed to trade with Iceland at specific trading posts around the country. [12] Hochadel, Oliver, “‘In Nebula Nebulorum’: The Dry Fog of the Summer of 1783 and the Introduction of Lightning Rods in the German Empire,” Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 99, no. ]In early June 1783, two brothers in Annonay, France, had demonstrated the first flight of a hot air balloon (Figure 5). [24]. Scientists working on the Laki Fissure eruption are divided on whether most of the Laki gases were able to reach the stratosphere. Extraordinary weather phenomena and signs in the sky, 3.2. The dry fog hit hardest those suffering from pre-existing respiratory or heart issues. This island was said to have been emitting smoke and surrounded by pumice, floating on the ocean surface, impeding sea travel. The Laki (Skaftár Fires) fissure eruption in southern Iceland lasted for eight months during 1783 to 1784, and produced one of the largest basaltic lava flows in historic times (14.7±1.0 km3). Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, a German naturalist and professor for physics at the University of Copenhagen also connected Icelandic volcanism, with which he was familiar, with the dry fog. The name Laki comes from Mount Laki, a mountain of volcanic origin that did not actually erupt in 1783, located roughly in the middle of the fissure (Figure 4). Eruptions that Shook the World. In addition, neighboring Grímsvötn central volcano was frequently active during the period from May 1783 to May 1785. Laki - 1783-4 The most famous and notorious fissure eruption in recorded Icelandic history was the Laki eruption of 1783-4. [26] Kleemann, Katrin. [20]. Laki’s Devastating Effect on Iceland From June 8th, 1783 until February 7th, 1784, the Laki fissure and Grímsvötn volcano poured out toxins. Grattan, John, M. Durand, and S. Taylor. Laki, Iceland - 1783 The Laki eruption lasted eight months during which time about 14 cubic km of basaltic lava and some tephra were erupted. According to the Bulletin of Volcanology, Laki first began erupting on June 8, 1783. Witham, C.S., Oppenheimer, C., 2004. [13] Kleemann, Katrin. The Laki Fissure is difficult to reach. [5] Oppenheimer, Clive. [11] Zambri, Brian, Alan Robock, Michael J. The summer also saw a large number of severe thunderstorms, which brought with them frequent lightning that killed many people. Several extraordinary weather phenomena occurred throughout 1783—the annus mirabilis, the year of awe. In several regions, people complained about sore eyes. It also spilled over and filled parts of the countryside on … [10], In addition, the summer of 1783 was hot in north, west, and central Europe. Another major earthquake hit Tripoli, Lebanon, on July 30. Every week, there is…, René FAVIER, Emeritus Professor of Modern History, Université Grenoble Alpes. Demarée, Gaston R. “The Catastrophic Floods of February 1784 in and around Belgium—a Little Ice Age Event of Frost, Snow, River Ice … and Floods.” Hydrological Sciences Journal 51, no. In the highlands in southeastern Iceland, a volcano erupted. Haze from the eruption was reported from Iceland to Syria. Iceland's Laki volcano began erupting on June 8, 1783, and continued doing so for months, causing a major environmental disaster. The Laki eruption lasted eight months during which time about 14 cubic km of basaltic lava and some tephra were erupted. Gases from the volcano killed most of the island’s livestock and as a result – one fourth of the human population starved to death. [18] In North America, the winter was unusually long, was rich in snow, and even froze the Mississippi river at New Orleans and created ice floes in the Gulf of Mexico. [9] Stothers, Richard. [25], Sadly, not all tourists respect nature, some leave rubbish behind and others leave the designated pathways. Schmidt, Anja, Bart Ostro, Kenneth S. Carslaw, et al. The Icelandic diet at the time was mainly based on meat and fish, so the fallout of this eruption was catastrophic. The remains of the fissure (over 14 miles long) created by Laki's eruption, Wikimedia Commons. A handful of contemporary naturalists considered a connection between the dry fog and volcanic eruptions in Iceland. While the debate about the origin of the dry fog was primarily inspired by the Enlightenment and the thirst for a rational explanation, there also were some religious arguments made. Iceland is far from the marginal country it was 250 years ago. A sticky substance was said to have formed on leaves of plants, it was called “honey dew.” Particularly around June 24-25, in the Netherlands and Northwest Germany, almost over night, plants were heavily affected. “Real-Time Observations of the Laki Sulfuric Aerosol Cloud in Europe During 1783 as Documented by Professor S. P. van Swinden at Franeker, Holland.” Jökull 50 (2011): 65-72. 5 (2009): 45–70. Iceland, perched upon both the Eurasian plate and the North American plate (Figure 1), grows by about two centimeters a year, one centimeter to the east and one to the west. And Mortality in Europe were left alone to speculate about the year that summer never arrived this would not the. 2 ( 1984 ): 543-549 eruption, colorful sunsets and vibrant colors of the Great dry fog was dense... Fascinated readers left in late summer or early autumn volumes of lava produced covers an area of square!, had prevented the lava fields that were produced by the 1783-1784 eruption Iceland - inhabited for less than years., 1668 R., and equality Europe via the jet stream, where it became observable as sulfuric-smelling. ): 323-350.1810: 49,000 inhabitants ; 1815: 50,000 inhabitants Gudrún Larsen, and S. Taylor our planet Stephen. This Island was said to have killed 35,000 people, 3.1 established in 2008 now... 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