VOLCANOES AND WORLD WEATHER

Evening Star, Issue 20028, 20 November 1928, Page 9

VOLCANOES AND WORLD WEATHER

WHAT INVESTIGATION SHOWS Weather men are watching with heightened interest tho scries or volcanic eruptions which have been taking place this summer, culminating with tho explosion of Rokat'mda, which is reported to have killed a thousand natives on the Island of Paloneh. Science Service’s ‘Daily Science News Bulletin ’ (Washington) thinks that u tho recent eruption was severe enough, or if it is followed by an even greater outburst, there is a chance that the following summer may bo abnormally cool. We read: —

“Professor W. J. Humphreys, of the United States Weather Bureau, has made a study of the weather records following periods of intense volcanic activity for the ipast three centuries, and finds that each great explosiye eruption has been followed by one nr ihox’6 cool, cloudy summers, liic famous i vear without a summoi ; 1816, followed upon the heels of a terrific explosive eruption of Tomboro volcano, in the East Judies, during 1815. This correlation between volcanic eruptions and weather is believed to be due to tho loading of tho upper atmosphere with clouds of extremely fine volcanic dust, which stays aloft for months, and is carried all over tho,world. , , . “Volcanic eruptions of tho explosive tvpo show a tendency toward grouping. Two or more will occur close together within a couple of years, and then there will be a period of relative miiet until the next group outburst. Thus, one of the earliest group entries on Professor Humphrey’s list shows the eruption in 1766 of Hecla in Iceland and May on in the Philippines; the latter volcano is in eruption again at present. Between 1783 and HSS occurred tho eruptions of Asama m Japan, Skapfn. Joknll m Iceland, and Vesuvius in Italy. In 1799 there was an isolated volcanic explosion on J.icrra del Fuego off tho tip of South America, which may have been responsible for a cool summer following. “ From 1808 until 1815 there a long succession of great outbursts; bt, George in the Azores, Etna in bicily, Soufricrc on 1-bc W;md ol Si. ' cent, Mavon in the Philippines, culminating in the terrific eruption of loinborn, which destroyed 56,606 lives. Ihe ‘ytmr without ;i summer ’ followed in 1816; hut during this period there were several yours of abnormal!} 7 low temperature. “Fifteen years later, in 1831, a new scries began, with explosions in tbo Babuyan Islands, Mount Coscguina in Nicaragua, and Awatska in Kamicliatka. There followed a long period of relative freedom from groat explosions, ending in 1872 with an eruption of Vesuvius, followed by Morapi in Java and Vatna Joknll in Iceland. This series ended in 1875. “ In 1883 came the most terrific eruption in the memory of living men, when the groat East Indian volcano, Krakatoa. shattered the whole island on which it stood, and wiped out 36,000 Malay lives. This eruption was followed before 1886 by outbursts of St. Augustine in Alaska and Tarawera in Now Zealand. The low temperature period following this group was second only to that of 1816.

“ The next period was between IS9O and 1892, with_ explosions of Bugoslov in Alaska, Awoo in the East Indies, and Randaisan in Japan. Ton years later came the disastrous eruption of Polo on the Island of Martinique, and the outbursts of Santa _ Maria volcano in Guatemala and Colima in Mexico.

- “ The most recent group of eruptions started in 1912. when Katmai. in Alaska, blew off its top, followed in 1913 by another eruption of Colima, and in 1914 bv Sakurashima, in Japan. “ The present year has been marked by four volcanic outbreaks. Omotope, on an island in Lake Nicaragua, erupted in January. There have been icports of explosions at Krakatoa, quiescent since its great eruption in 1883. Mayon, in the Philippines, has been driving the inhabitants of its neighborhood away from their homes, and finally has come the destructive explosion of Rokatinda. None of these lias been at all comparable with the great explosions, such as these, of Kraktoa and Asama, or even with the eruption of Katmai; but there is no telling whether they may not bo merely the preliminary bouts of a really huge outburst, which may again bring -ns a year without a summer.”