New Delhi: In 1831, the Earth witnessed the eruption of an unknown volcano. It would have been noted as just another volcanic eruption, had it not been for the magnanimity of the incident. The eruption was so explosive that the Northern Hemisphere’s annual average temperatures reduced by around 1 degree Celsius due to the huge amount of sulfur dioxide released into the stratosphere.
The event occurred during the Little Ice Age’s last gasp. While everyone knew about the year of this historic eruption, nobody knew the location of the volcano. However, recently, researchers solved the mystery by sampling ice cores in Greenland. They examined grains of ash, tiny volcanic glass shards and sulfur isotopes which were deposited there between 1831 and 1834.
What is the name of the mystery mountain?
In their research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists said that they have used geochemistry, radioactive dating and computer modeling to map the trajectories of the particles and linked the eruption to an island volcano in the Pacific Ocean’s northwest.
The scientists have found out that the mystery volcano whose eruption in 1831 cooled down the Earth’s climate was Zavaritskii which is also spelled Zavaritsky. It is located on Simushir Island which is the Kuril Islands archipelago’s part, an area of dispute between Japan and Russia. Before the findings of the scientists, the last known eruption of Zavaritskii was in 800 BC.
According to the lead author of the study, Dr William Hutchison, there is very little understanding of the eruptive history of the volcanoes which are located in remote areas on this planet. Hutchison told the CNN that Zavaritskii is situated on an extremely remote island between Russia and Japan and nobody lives there.
How was the mountain discovered?
Scientists examined the ice cores of Greenland and found that in 1831, the sulfur fallout was much greater in Greenland than in Antarctica. It pointed to the fact the major eruption’s source was a midlatitude volcano in the Northern Hemisphere.
The study team analyzed ash and shards of volcanic glass and compared their results with volcanic regions’ geochemical datasets. They found that the places which were matching the closest were in Japan and the Kuril Islands. While volcanic eruptions took place in Japan in 19th century and they were well-documented, there were no records of the 1831 erupotion. But those who had visited volcanoes in the Kuril Islands previously gave samples which led to the discovery of Zavaritskii.
How did the 1831 eruption affect the planet?
After the eruption of Zavaritskii in 1831, Northern Hemisphere experienced cooler and drier conditions. There were widespread hunger and hardship, with famines affecting India, Japan and Europe and the millions of people who lived there. The eruption led to failure of crops which affected many parts of the globe. Also, the 1831 eruption taught everyone that volcanic activity in remote spots can result in devastating consequences on this planet.
In 1831, an unknown volcano erupted, causing a 1 degree Celsius temperature drop in the Northern Hemisphere. Recent research, using Greenland ice cores, identified the volcano as Zavaritskii on Simushir Island. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
