Laki Eruption Iceland 1783-1784

 Introduction

Iceland is known as “the land of ice and fire” (Kleeman, 2020).  Iceland is located on a diverging plate boundary and rests on both the Eurasian plate and the North American plate lines. The country is also located on a mantle plume, or a mass of relatively hot and therefore less dense mantle materials that rise up from the Earth’s mantle towards the surface where it produces volcanism (Kleeman, 2020). These factors mean the island has a significant amount of volcanic activity. It has over thirty active volcanoes, as well as a number of inactive ones (Witze, 2015). One of the most important volcanoes on the island is Laki. An eruption in the late 1700s is still kept in the hearts of many Islanders. 

Figure 1: This map shows the Laki volcano as well as some other volcanic areas around Iceland. 

(Witze & Kanipe, 2014)

Summary

“The flood of fire flowed with the speed of a great swollen river with meltwater on a spring day,...[] Great cliffs and slabs of rock were swept along, tumbling about like large whales swimming, red-hot and glowing.”- Pastor Jón Steingrímsson describes the eruption in 1873 (Bressan, 2015)

On June 8, 1783, the ground ripped open and the Laki fissure released mass amounts of lava. These lava flows lasted for a total of eight months and the effects lingered for years all around the globe (Witze, 2015). The fissure is over 27 kilometers or 16 miles long and released over 14.7cubic kilometers, or (about 3.7 quadrillion gallons, enough to fill 330 feet deep valleys entirely) of lava (Bressan, 2015). 

Figure 2: This picture shows the Laki fissure today. The eruption of 1783-1784 and the massive lava flows created the land as it is today. Today the Laki fissure is a part of the Vatnajökull National Park.

(Kleeman, 2020)

The eruption also produced large amounts of gases and ash. The gases, particularly the fluorine, poisoned the fields, meadows, and ponds, which killed 50% of all the cattle, 79% of the sheep, and 76% of the horses between 1783 and 1785 (Kleeman, 2020). It is estimated that the eruption released over 80 Mt of sulfuric acid aerosol which is 4 times more than El Chichon and 80 times more than Mount St. Helens (Oregon State University, 2010). It lead to a great famine and by 1785, roughly 20 percent of the Icelandic population had perished—from hunger, malnutrition, or diseases (Kleeman, 2020). This event killed over 2 billion people around the world (Disasters, 2015). Throughout the summer of 1783, there was a fog was seen in cities such as London, Paris, Stockholm, Rome, and beyond. People also reported a sour smell in the air, trouble breathing, and plants withering on exposure (Witze, 2015). This haze was reported as far as Syria (Oregon State University, 2010).

Figure 3: The gases released during the eruption created a fog, such as the one seen here. This fog made it hard to see and breathe and was deadly. 

(Crocker, 2021)

 The longevity of this event led to one of the coldest winters on record, leading to famine in many countries. Many scholars believe the effects of climate change caused by the Laki eruption, such as crop failures, helped spark the French Revolution (Bressan, 2015).

Figure 4: This is a famous image of the French Revolution. Famine and extreme weather changes from Laki could have significantly played a role in this revolution. 

(Bauwens, 2011)

Discussion

The Laki disaster is imprinted in the national psyche as a kind of worst-case scenario for what natural disasters can do (Witze, 2015). The country's isolation and the significantly little amount of knowledge about volcanoes meant mitigation efforts were low.  After this event, there was a greater interest in climate science and mitigation efforts. Famous figures such as Ben Franklin noted the atmospheric effects of the eruption (Oregon State University, 2010). Laki put out more lava and more gases than any other eruption in Iceland’s history, except for a 10th-century event that occurred before the country was widely settled (Witze, 2015). The Laki eruption was significant for showing that volcanic eruptions can have impacts on regions far away. This disaster helped researchers to better understand and respond to other disasters (Witze, 2015). This eruption also shows the resiliency of Icelanders. It truly amazes me how they were able to bounce back and become a thriving country again. Today, Iceland’s volcanoes are extremely well monitored and the country's civil-protection service responds almost immediately to any impending eruption. Unlike in 1783, people can sit at home and check the Icelandic Meteorological Office website for the latest news, maps, and predictions of what natural disaster might happen next (Witze, 2015). 

Though the effects of this volcano were devesting, Laki is less well-known than Mount Tambara and other volcanos that have had similar influential eruptions. It makes me wonder why some natural disasters are better known than others. 

Video

This video describes the 1783-1784 Laki eruption and its effects in Iceland and around the world. It explains why this event was one of the most important natural disasters of all time. 

Sources 

Bauwens, J. (2011, September 20). Sciency Thoughts: The dangers of a modern Laki style eruption in Iceland. Sciency Thoughts. http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.com/2011/09/dangers-of-modern-laki-style-eruption.html

Bressan, D. (2015, May 8). This 1783 Volcanic Eruption Changed The Course Of History. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2015/06/08/this-1783-volcanic-eruption-changed-the-course-of-history/?sh=228213a453c8

Crocker, S. (2021, March 5). The Dramatic True Story Of The Laki Volcanic Eruption. Grunge. https://www.grunge.com/348919/the-dramatic-true-story-of-the-laki-volcanic-eruption/

Disasters. (2015). 1783 Iceland Eruption. Youtube. https://youtu.be/_c6Rnqr7W1U

Kleeman, K. (2020, January 13). The Laki Fissure eruption, 1783-1784. Encyclopédie de L’environnement. https://www.encyclopedie-environnement.org/en/society/laki-fissure-eruption-1783-1784/

Oregon State University. (2010, April 14). Laki, Iceland - 1783. Volcano World. https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/laki-iceland-1783

Witze, A. (2015). Island on Fire. Natural Hazards Center. https://hazards.colorado.edu/article/island-on-fire-societal-lessons-from-iceland-s-volcanoes

Witze, A., & Kanipe, J. (2014). Island on fire : the Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano that Changed the World. Pegasus Books.