200 years ago, the world was shrouded in a gloomy darkness, and suspended in a chokehold of famine and violence. In April of 1815, the most powerful volcanic blast in recorded history erupted from Mount Tambora in the East Indies. It affected the climate and culture of many different reaches of the world. Mount Tambora’s eruption was one of the most devastating eruptions in history, and its effects were felt around the globe. However, it struck a mark culturally, and politically too. Not just a volcanic eruption, Mount Tambora’s darkness caused climate change, played a role in political events, and even created frightening monsters.
On the morning of April 5th, 1815, the Lieutenant Governor of Java awoke to the sound of a cannon firing. Assuming that it came from the distance, he immediately surmised that his position was under attack. He sent troops to the coast, when his troops arrived to the coast, he realized there was no invading force. Where had the sound come from? The Governor decided that there must have been a ship under distress. After
…show more content…
In Fact, there is no peak. The peak of Mount Tambora once stood at 4300 meters tall. However, on April 5th, the volcano erupted, blowing off the top 1,450 meters of the volcano, and leaving an enormous crater in its wake. Devastation of this magnitude could only be given by an eruption 4 times the size of Krakatoa’s. Tambora’s eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7. The 1815 Tambora eruption is the largest observed eruption in recorded history. In accordance to such a massive eruption, climate change is nearly inevitable. In fact, the eruption of Mount Tambora would not be nearly as devastating as it has been measured to be, without its short term and long term effects on weather. It’s casualties, destruction, shockwave, and global effect all establish a much more telltale story than any other eruption in