How an Icelandic volcano helped spark the French Revolution

guardian.co.uk ^ | 4/15/10 | Greg Neale

[Kartographer]

Just over 200 years ago an Icelandic volcano erupted with catastrophic consequences for weather, agriculture and transport across the northern hemisphere – and helped trigger the French revolution.

The Laki volcanic fissure in southern Iceland erupted over an eight-month period from 8 June 1783 to February 1784, spewing lava and poisonous gases that devastated the island's agriculture, killing much of the livestock. It is estimated that perhapsa quarter of Iceland's population died through the ensuing famine.

Then, as now, there were more wide-ranging impacts. In Norway, the Netherlands, the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, in North America and even Egypt, the Laki eruption had its consequences, as the haze of dust and sulphur particles thrown up by the volcano was carried over much of the northern hemisphere.

[Still Thinking]

I was there too, a month or two later, and saw all sorts of fallen trees and deep layers of ash all over the place out in the woods.

[thulldud]

Time to start looking into what grows well (or ‘least poorly’) in cool, rainy weather.

Love them 'taters....

[DuncanWaring]

That’s one that comes to mind.

Got any references to a comparison of the relative merits of the different varieties (russet vs. red vs. yukon gold, etc)?

I’m thinking, in general, “does well in cool, wet, cloudy weather” AND “matures quickly” would be the proper avenues of pursuit.

[thulldud]

I love Yukon Golds, but they seem very prone to go bad in storage. Russets are hardier.

[DuncanWaring]

Sounds like the proper plan is to grow a few Yukon Golds and a lot of russets, and eat the Yukons first.

[Ancesthntr]

Time to start looking into what grows well (or ‘least poorly’) in cool, rainy weather.

Sprouts, in your kitchen. Stored rice and beans, along with various condiments to make it interesting, is highly nutritious.

I very seriously am happy to not be living in a Turd World country, because if this volcano keeps erupting, or if Katla goes, then there will be HUGE increases in the price of food...which can only mean famine in the Turd World, as all of us can pay for the food. It isn't like the world is the least bit practical in this modern age, and has stores of food to use in the event of widespread crop failures (caused by volcanoes and such).

I wonder if anyone in any position of power will actually learn something from this. Nah, it'll never happen.

[Travis McGee]

The volcano seems to be calming down....for now.

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

iceland, volcano, and Eyjafjallajokull keywords, sorted chrono:

• Iceland feels heat after years of growth
• Are Volcanoes Melting Arctic?
• Iceland: Now Finish The Job
• Eyjafjallajokull Volcano Erupts in Iceland. Will Katla Volcano Be Next?
• Iceland prepares for second, more devastating volcanic eruption-Northern Hemisphere Cooling?
• Iceland's eruptions could have global consequences (Brits doomed)
• Legislation Bans Stripping in Iceland
• Icelanders opt for exile(So who pays taxes?)
• Iceland's GFC poor line up for food
• AA flight makes emergency landing in Iceland
• Iceland evacuates hundreds as volcano erupts again
• Volcanic ash cloud 'spreading towards London': forecast
• Breaking news: Another large flood, evacuation ordered..
• Volcano cloud smothers Europe
• Holy Cow !!! Rick Sanchez is Truly a Moron
• The face of the angry Iceland volcano revealed!
• Holy Cow, Look What Happened When Eyjafjallajökull Erupted In 1812
• NASA Terra Satellite Capture -- Ash Plume of Icelandic Volcano
• No End In Sight For Havoc Of Icelandic Volcano
• Iceland's revenge
• Iceland volcano unlikely to slow global warming: scientists
• Iceland volcano from Space: The Dramatic Ash Plume Engulfing Britain and 'Nightmarish Face'
• Finnish fighter jets damaged by volcanic cloud
• Ice cap thaw may awaken Icelandic volcanoes (Global warming scare alert!)
• Volcano Spews More Ash, Spawns Wider Flight Chaos
• Experts: No End To Volcano Ash In Sight(The 1821 Eruption Lasted Two Years)
• British chutzpa
• Archeology: When did the First Settlers Come to Iceland?
• Utah earthquakes leading up to volcanic action?
• I Saw The Earth Explode [Stunning Pics of Iceland's Volcanic Eruption]
• Archeology: When did the First Settlers Come to Iceland? [the Irish]
• Chaos As Volcano Spews Out Ash And More Flights Are Canceled
• An eruption of chaos across Europe
• Volcanic Ash Disrupting More Than Travel In Europe
• The "FReepers stranded in Europe" thread
• KLM pushes to resume passenger flights after tests
• Volcanic Ash Relentless As New Tremors Rock Iceland
• Iceland's farmers try to save herds from toxic ash ( Eyjafjallajokull )
• Flight ban 'not over-reacting' say Wiltshire scientists
• Wake Up People This Volcano Is About More Than Flights..Agriculture, Energy, Politics
• Vocanos are horrible for the environment
• European airlines test skies, press to end ban (no damage found on test flights)
• Operation volcano! Navy Armada Ready To Pick Up Thousands Of Stranded Britons
• UK 'no-fly zone' to last at least another day ( Eyjafjallajökull )
• Merkel home at last after 60-hour trip
• Coming To America: The Big Volcanic Ash Plume
• Operation volcano! Navy armada ready to pick up thousands of stranded Britons after France
• Video on How to Pronounce the Name of Iceland's "Eyjafjallajökull" Volcano
• Amazing New Eruption Pics!
• Volcanic Ash Cloud Could Hit Canadian Coast Later Today, Forecasters Tell Sky News
• Volcanic double-whammy says Venus still spews
• UK sends warships to rescue stranded Britons
• Eruption From Iceland Volcano Tappering Off, Spewing Less Ash: Experts
• Airline Losses from Ash Spiral Over $1 billion
• NATO: F-16 fighters damaged by volcanic ash
• BREAKING NEWS: Second Icelandic volcano, Hekla, has begun erupting [update: false alarm]
• Second Volcano, Hekla, Erupting [update: mislabelled camera, it is not erupting]
• New Global Warming Alarmism from LA Times: 'The World is Running Short on Air Pollution'
• Iceland: Volcano emitting 150-300,000 tonnes of CO2 daily: experts
• Volcano emitting 150-300,000 tonnes of CO2 daily: experts(But the same experts say no big deal)
• Iceland Volcanic Eruption [Spectacular Pics of Lightning and Fire]
• Ash cloud models -- overrated? A word on Post Normal Science by Dr. Jerome Ravetz
• New volcanic Ash Cloud Threatens Attempts To Reopen UK Airspace
• Ash Backward (Global Warming Causes Volcanic Eruptions?)
• Pictures Of The Icelandic Volcano
• THE BIG PICTURE -- More from Eyjafjallajokull
• Royal Ash: Royal society jumps on magma driven worry express
• Threat of New, Larger Icelandic Eruption Looms
• Mayor Of London Warns: The Ash Flight Ban Could Be INDEFINITE And We Need To Prepare For It
• Gold Recovers as Markets Weigh Volcano and Sovereign Debt Default 'Black Swan' Risk
• One Winner in the European Air Disaster: High Speed Rail
• How an Icelandic volcano helped spark the French Revolution
• Video: The volcano erupts
• Get Ready for Decades of Icelandic Fireworks
• World Airways Jet Grounded In Europe, Possible Engine Damage From Ash
• Volcano Releases One Trillion Cow Farts Into Atmosphere
• Recriminations Erupt in Ash-Fueled Aviation Crisis (European Katrina?)
• Second, more powerful Icelandic volcano likely to explode soon
• Guardian Continues To Spread Misinformation About Eyjafjallajokull ( CO2 Calculations ---)

[Salamander]

Oh.
I thought they meant *right now*.

[Cold Heart]

I started looking into cold weather crops already.
Couple musk ox might work out too:)

[Cold Heart]

We do not have the stores of food in this country we used to. No grain reserves at all.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[Cold Heart]

Nice of the volcano to give us a warning shot.

[investigateworld]

I think it was in 1305 a huge famine hit Europe, leading to many reports of cannibalism.....
Again, it was report that the haze was such that their were no shadows.

[gleeaikin]

Since this kind of thing can happen periodically, we really need to think in terms of gradual, volutary reduction in the population of the earth, or else as you say millions will starve when the system breaks down from natural or man made catastrophe.

[colorado tanker]

I just saw an episode of How The Earth Was Made on Iceland in which Laki was discussed. Look at the line of craters and lava that eruption left behind. It's enormous, like the Earth was ripped open in that part of the island.

[SunkenCiv]

I see the “Image Hosted by tripod” crap image; even one of the images ON that page is the crap image, which is weird. :’) Thanks ct for the link:

http://laki-volcano.tripod.com/id3.html

[SunkenCiv]