Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How an Icelandic volcano helped spark the French Revolution
guardian.co.uk ^ | 4/15/10 | Greg Neale

Posted on 04/20/2010 4:55:46 PM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; cwiiping; godsgravesglyphs; iceland; laki; volcano
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
History repeating itself.
1 posted on 04/20/2010 4:55:46 PM PDT by Kartographer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kartographer; SunkenCiv

Read it found it very interesting..


2 posted on 04/20/2010 5:21:54 PM PDT by GSP.FAN (Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer; blam; Black Agnes

Wow!


3 posted on 04/20/2010 5:48:48 PM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer; Eaker; afnamvet; AK2KX; Ancesthntr; An Old Man; ApesForEvolution; aragorn; archy; ...
Black Swan Ping.

(Last time, >> French Revolution.)

CW2 Ping


4 posted on 04/20/2010 5:57:44 PM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer
The disruption to weather patterns meant the ensuing winter was unusually harsh, with consequent spring flooding claiming more lives. In America the Mississippi reportedly froze at New Orleans.

Oh, man.
5 posted on 04/20/2010 6:00:41 PM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life or nothing at all)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer

I see one huge difference between now and then. We are already on the beginning of a lull in sunspot activity and a cooling trend is well under way. Last summer was crazy cool and last winter was harsh. Real harsh. Now this ash cloud is supposed to spread all around the world and cause even more cooling.

This could be bad. We may all be hoping and praying algore is right by this time next year.


6 posted on 04/20/2010 6:08:37 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer

Al Gore will claim it is all global warming in the end.

- only delayed.

When the “global warming” glasses on, everything is a fulfillment of the man made disaster. (oh wait, was that terrorism?)


7 posted on 04/20/2010 6:16:07 PM PDT by Only1choice____Freedom (FDR had the New Deal. President 0bama has the Raw Deal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee

Good read, thanks for the ping.


8 posted on 04/20/2010 7:01:09 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Support our troops....and vote out the RINOS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
Very interesting. I had the oportunity to fly over Mt. St. Hellens on 18 Apr, 1980. That evening I drove through northern Washington, on the most northerly edge of the ash plume.

At times the road ventured southerly into the places where a blanket of ash covered the ground. There, everything, in all directions, looked much like the surface of the moon. It took several days to wash the stuff off of the road surfaces. Today, some 30 years later, you can still find traces of the ash in the branches of trees in the forests.

If that volcano does what it did last time it erupted, many will long for the good old days.

This eruption might take several years to clear up the mess it is making.

9 posted on 04/20/2010 7:09:40 PM PDT by An Old Man
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: An Old Man

It could be a big game changer, that’s for sure!


10 posted on 04/20/2010 7:16:04 PM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer

All together, now...one, ...two,... three:

BUSH’S FAULT!!!!!!!!


11 posted on 04/20/2010 7:19:40 PM PDT by Humble Servant ( See y'all in the gulag.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: An Old Man
18 Apr May, 1980.

There, fixed it.

Not to be picky, but I was there, too. Waiting to ship to EOBC at Ft Belvoir, to report on 20May80.

12 posted on 04/20/2010 7:43:49 PM PDT by castlebrew (Gun control means hitting where you're aiming!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
You said it, brother!
Already the reports (FoxNews) are coming in how this is affecting the US economy. I will definitely be paying closer attention to this story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjfrexe61XI&feature=related

13 posted on 04/20/2010 8:15:07 PM PDT by TheCause ("that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: advance_copy

I am rereading Following the Equator by Mark Twain and he mentions the Mississippi freezing at Memphis and ice as far south as the mouth of the Arkansas, this was during his days as a riverboat pilot.


14 posted on 04/20/2010 8:40:07 PM PDT by razorback-bert (So many questions, so few answers about Barry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee

It’s interesting that you should ping me to this. I’ve had this nagging thought in the back of my brain since reading up on what actually happened in Iceland with that volcano, that this isn’t going to be over in a month... not by a long shot.


15 posted on 04/20/2010 8:53:43 PM PDT by hiredhand
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Kartographer

Sounds like something from that James Burke TV Series “Connections.”


16 posted on 04/20/2010 8:55:47 PM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hiredhand

I picked a different “Black Swan event” in my third novel, (new madrid quakes) but if the 2nd volcano blows for 8 months, it might do the same job on the world economy.


17 posted on 04/21/2010 4:15:40 AM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee; hiredhand

I saw either this article or one like it a few days ago, but it’s good to keep it alive.

The last time this volcano erupted, the eruption went on for a year.

It may not have been a continuous eruption, but even if it only shuts down European air travel for one week out of every month for the next year, that’s not going to be good.

Also, the longer it erupts, the more ash builds up in the atmosphere, blocking more and more sunlight, leading to (nobody tell al-Gore) more cooling.

And that’s assuming the other, bigger (Katla?) volcano doesn’t erupt, which is not a good bet.


18 posted on 04/21/2010 5:37:50 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: DuncanWaring

If Katla blows, all bets are off. The Black Swan will be flying.


19 posted on 04/21/2010 5:39:10 AM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee

Possibly a whole flock of them.

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


20 posted on 04/21/2010 5:42:09 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson