Volcanic eruption led to the Black Death, new research suggests
6 days ago
- #Volcanic Eruption
- #Black Death
- #Pandemic Origins
- The Black Death, one of the deadliest pandemics, may have been triggered by a volcanic eruption around 1345.
- Volcanic ash blocked sunlight, causing temperature drops and crop failures, leading to grain shortages.
- Italian city-states imported grain from the Black Sea region, inadvertently bringing Yersinia pestis-infected rats and fleas.
- The plague bacterium spread via grain shipments, devastating Europe between 1347 and 1351, killing at least 25 million people.
- Tree rings and ice core data support the theory of a volcanic eruption causing climate anomalies before the pandemic.
- The study highlights the interconnectedness of natural, societal, and economic factors in historical pandemics.