Reading between the lines of tree rings to reconstruct exactly what happened in Alaska the year that the Laki volcano erupted half a world away in Iceland can help fine-tune future climate predictions.
In June 1783, Laki spewed more sulfur into the atmosphere than any other Northern Hemisphere eruption in the last 1,000 years. The Inuit in North America tell stories about the year that summer never arrived. Benjamin Franklin, who was in France at the time, noted the “fog” that descended over much of Europe in the aftermath, and correctly reasoned that it led to an unusually cold winter on the continent.
Tree Rings and the Laki Volcano Eruption: A Closer Look at Climate When Iceland s Laki volcano erupted in 1783, its effects rippled around the world. UArizona researchers have analyzed Alaskan tree rings to understand how climate responded in northwestern North America. The work will aid in fine-tuning future climate models. By Mikayla Mace Kelley, University Communications Jan. 27, 2021 UArizona researchers dyed a very thin slice of wood to make ring growth measurements at time scales smaller than the typical year, or season. This allowed them to pinpoint when exactly the trees in Alaska responded to the Laki eruption in Iceland. Julie Edwards
When Iceland s Laki volcano erupted in 1783, its effects rippled around the world. UArizona researchers have analyzed Alaskan tree rings to understand how climate responded in northwestern North America. The work will aid in fine-tuning future climate models.