Volcanic clue unlocks prehistoric global chill mystery
Scientists from the University of St Andrews have discovered that the eruption of the Zavaritskii volcano on Simushir Island in 1831 led to global cooling and famines. They are now advocating for a coordinated international response if such an eruption occurs again.
A team of scientists from the University of St Andrews has unravelled the mystery of a volcanic eruption that, nearly 200 years ago, led to global cooling and famines. For years, researchers were puzzled by the precise location of the eruption. Although they were aware that such an event had taken place, they could not ascertain where it occurred. At last, they succeeded in pinpointing the location, thanks to Dr Will Hutchison from the University of St Andrews.
Scientists' discovery
The eruption occurred in the spring or summer of 1831. Under Dr Hutchison's leadership, scientists analysed ice cores and identified an ideal match of ashes. The task was particularly challenging because the size of ash fragments in ice cores is about ten times smaller than a human hair.
Dr Hutchison emphasised that only recently have techniques been developed to extract microscopic ash fragments and analyse their chemical composition in detail. "We analysed the chemistry of the ice at a very high temporal resolution. This allowed us to pinpoint the precise timing of the eruption to spring-summer 1831," said Dr Hutchison.
International cooperation
The research required extensive collaboration with colleagues from Japan and Russia, who provided samples from these distant volcanoes. "The moment in the lab when we analysed the two ashes together, one from the volcano and one from the ice core, was a genuine eureka moment," added Dr Hutchison. Through this cooperation, it was determined that the samples matched those found on the Kuril Islands—specifically on Simushir Island.
Simushir Island, currently under Russian control, served as a strategic military base. During the Cold War, the Soviets used it as a secret base for submarines. The research underscores how poorly studied the Kuril Islands are, despite their high volcanic activity. It is there that the volcano contributing to global cooling 200 years ago is located.
Dr Hutchison noted that there are many similar volcanoes, making it difficult to predict the next large-scale eruption. "As scientists and as a society, we need to consider how to coordinate an international response when the next large eruption, like the one in 1831, happens," he appealed.
