A Conversation for The Great Tambora Volcanic Eruption

Greatest explosion?

Post 1

shagbark

I think Krakatoa A13346750 might have as good a title to this title as this volcano. Each of them affected the global climate for long periods afterward.


Greatest explosion?

Post 2

Woodpigeon

Well, Tambora was 10 times bigger than Krakatoa, and it affected global temperatures so much that the temperatures in much of Europe and North America remained close to freezing throughout the summer of 1815, sparking off a significant famines in both regions. This did not happen to the same extent during the Krakatoa event.

Krakatoa is better remembered primarily because of the huge advances in communications technology between the two events, and the relative proximity of Krakatoa to major population centres (Singapore, Jakarta).

Tambora had a VEI of 7, which makes it a once in 5,000 year event. That's pretty impressive. Hopefully we indeed have another 4,800 years to wait until the next one.


Greatest explosion?

Post 3

shagbark

I had read somewhere about the "0pen winter of 1815" where there was snow twelve months that year. I never made the connection to this volcano before.


Greatest explosion?

Post 4

Pedros_Ecosse - I always look this confused! :)

smiley - biggrin that was a fascinating read, I had never herd of Tambora, always thought Krakatoa was the biggest!


Greatest explosion?

Post 5

freddawlanen

Just what caused the 'Dark Ages'?
From everything I've heard about them they were actually dark with terrible winters, not just named because of the lack of recorded information about them.
If this is true, surely this could only be from a volcanic eruption far worse than Tambora, or even an asteroid impact and as for the highest RECORDED death toll, the word in bold is the important one.
Santorini probably killed 5 times more people (maybe far more than that) than Tambora, it's just that recorded data from c.1600BC is sketchy at best, though theories about the 'Ten Plagues of Egypt' fit both the time period and scientific evidence about what may actually happen after such a massive blast.


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