Constantinople's Volcanic Twilight (Kuwae eruption)
Huaynaputina (includes image)
"Huaynaputina was the site of a single catastrophic eruption in February 1600, which was remarkable not only for its intensity, but because it was the only major explosive eruption in historic times in the Central Andes. A colourful account of the eruption is to be found in the journals of Vasquez de Espinoza (translated from the Spanish in 1942). The eruption completely destroyed the pre-1600 edifice which was described as " a low ridge in the centre of a sierra". Ash from the eruption is widespread and still mantles much of the surrounding countryside as far as Arequipa, 80 km away. It now forms a useful regional stratigraphic marker horizon throughout Peru (e.g. in the Quelccaya ice cap (see Chapter 1, Figure 8; Thompson et al., 1986). In the Greenland ice core acidity profile, the eruption produced an acid "spike" larger in magnitude than the Krakatau 1883 eruption (Hammer et al., 1980; de Silva & Francis, 1990) and remarkable optical effects were reported from the northern hemisphere in 1601 (Lamb, 1970). Notwithstanding the magnitude of this eruption, its deposits have never been examined."
From the Global Volcanism Program (excerpt):
"This powerful fissure-fed eruption may have produced nearly 30 cu km* of dacitic tephra, including pyroclastic flows and surges that traveled 13 km to the east and SE. Lahars reached the Pacific Ocean, 120 km away. The eruption caused substantial damage to the major cities of Arequipa and Moquengua, and regional economies took 150 years to fully recover."
* Tambora is estimated to have been 80 cubic km.
The Voyage of Hanno"Sailing rapidly, we passed by a fiery region filled with vapors, from which great torrents of fire flowed down to the sea. The land could not be approached because of the heat.
Livio Catulo Stecchini
"We sailed away from there quickly, being struck with fear. Then, having sailed for four days, we sighted at night a land full of flames. And in the midst of it there was a fire higher than the rest which seemed to touch the stars. By day we discerned it to be a mountain of great height named Theon Ochema."
In describing a volcanic eruption from a high mountain towering over the sea Hanno mentions such details as sulphuric fumes and streams of lava. The only volcanic area in West Africa is represented by Mount Cameroon, which is still active today. It is located at the deepest point of the Gulf of Guinea, where it rises suddenly from the seashore, reaching a height of over 4000 meters. The peak of Mount Cameroon is at 4°13'N, 9°10'E. almost exactly 6° (equal to four days' sailing) east of the Great Island of Lagos. Those who have seen it from the sea consider it one of the most impressive sights in the world. The natives call it Mongana-Loba, "Mountain of the Gods," which well agrees with the Greek Theon Ochema, "Chariot of the Gods," of our text.
Regarding the famine in Egypt, there is an interesting modern parallel. I think it was in the late 1970s that the terrible north African drought in the Sahel caused such fatal famine. I came across a recent report that this was influenced toward severity by particulate air pollution drifting down from Europe. Since Europe has been cleaning up its air in recent decades, the droughts in north Africa have not been so severe.