When Summer Never Came – A Look at the Mount Tambora Eruption

By Visio Roughton

The eruptions of Mount St. Helens or Mount Vesuvius are often synonymous with volcanic disasters, and they are, in fact, some of the most well-known eruptions to date. While each event was undeniably catastrophic, and their histories still affect us today, neither eruption can compare to the magnitude of devastation that the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Tambora caused in 1815. 

Today known as the world’s largest, most devastating volcanic eruption recorded in human history, it remains a stark reminder of how powerful the earth’s volcanic impact can be. Tambora’s impact extended beyond Indonesia, triggering long-term economic and environmental effects for the world. From the destruction of entire communities near the volcano to the larger “Year Without Summer” that gripped the world at large, Mount Tambora remains one of the most impactful and influential natural disasters the world has ever experienced. 

Eruption:

On April 5th, 1815, after hundreds of years of dormancy, Mount Tambora experienced its first of many major eruptions that would rock the area during the spring and summer of that year. This first eruption triggered a series of smaller eruptions many of which were strong enough to be audible from Batavia (known today as Jakarta) 780 miles away. 

Five days after the initial start of the eruption, on April 10th, 1815, the volcano’s eruptions intensified. 

Through April 10th and 11th, Tambora’s eruptions released an explosion of pumice rocks that fell on the surrounding areas which were soon followed by thick clouds of ash. 

A sudden onslaught of violent wind gusts triggered by the eruption slammed nearby villages with such force that it toppled almost every house and even large trees. Pyroclastic flows (a current of hot gas and other volcanic materials that on average reach up to 60 mph, but can reach speeds up to 430 mph) flooded down the sides of the volcano and spread across the surrounding area. It subsequently destroyed the nearby village of the same name, Tambora, and at its height managed to affect a total area of about 337 miles. 

The eruption also triggered a tsunami that struck the coastlines of many of the Indonesian islands on April tenth. This wave reached up to 13 feet in height, and the following tsunamis that ravaged the Indonesian coast were not much smaller. (One of the later tsunamis reported in Besuki was reported to be 3-7 feet tall, and a third tsunami that hit the Molucca Islands was 7 feet respectively.) 

The immediate devastation in the aftermath of the eruptions was unparalleled, and it is believed that approximately 10,000 people were killed almost instantly by it; either by the pyroclastic flows, the collapse of their homes under the weight of volcanic debris, or the tsunamis. 

Local Aftermath:

Although the worst of the eruptions took place through April 10th and 11th, mini eruptions and aftershocks continued through July of that year, although smoke continued to rise from the crater until late August. The destruction caused by Tambora’s eruption left the island of Sumbawa, the island where the volcano is located, nearly unrecognizable. 

Though 10,000 is believed to be the immediate death toll was believed to be about 10,000, overall it is largely agreed that more than 80,000 people died due to the damage in the aftermath of the eruption, though this number is frequently disagreed upon. The wave of deaths following the disaster was largely due to the famines it triggered and the sudden, fast spread of disease that struck the area in the following months.

The thick layer of volcanic ash ejected by Mount Tambora settled across the surrounding islands, both poisoning the water and leading to lands that could not be cultivated. These communities that were once rich in agricultural production, found themselves unable to produce or even support crops for years following the eruption.  

The influx of displaced people who had to flee their affected homes to other nearby islands in search of food and shelter put a strain on other communities that they were not prepared for. 

Aside from the damage the ash had caused to the soil of a nearby island, it also remained suspended in the air for weeks; the ash was so thick in fact that it blocked out the sun almost entirely and plunged the already reeling communities into endless darkness for days and even weeks following the eruption. 

The toxic gases expelled during the eruption, namely sulfur dioxide, led to an uptick in severe respiratory illnesses among those who had survived the initial blast, one aspect that led to subsequent deaths as a result of the eruption. 

The famine spurred by the infertile soil and sudden shift in the islands’ population density followed was one of the deadliest consequences of the eruption. It was worsened by the fact the eruption had damaged and destroyed already present food supplies, killed livestock in mass, and disrupted established trade routes. The societal collapse near Tambora was extensive, with many decimated or completely wiped from existence. 

Effects Worldwide:

The column of smoke and ash released during the event was so explosive that it was launched into the atmosphere, where winds then carried it across the majority of the globe. In fact, on the other side of the world, in London, England, many bore witness to unusually vibrant and beautiful sunsets in the year after the eruption of Mount Tambora. 

While the effects of the ash led to stunningly beautiful sunsets, the negative effects from the ash also managed to stretch far and wide and were not unique to Indonesia. 

Many societies across the world were dealing with the fallout of the eruption in the year following the initial incident. 1816 ultimately became known as the “Year Without a Summer” in 1816, a year after the volcanic event shook Indonesia. 

The volume of ash and gasses released into the upper atmosphere was so high that it led to significant disruptions to the global climate, as the aerosols released in the explosion reflected sunlight away from Earth and caused a dramatic drop in global temperatures. These conditions were made worse by the fact the planet had been experiencing a ‘mini ice age’ in recent centuries.

During this time, Europe and North America experienced some of the most noteworthy severe weather anomalies in recorded history. Snow fell in June across the northeastern United States, while parts of Europe faced relentless storms, heavy rains, and unusually cold temperatures, even in the summer. Crops suffered in these temperatures and failed en masse, leading to widespread food shortages and skyrocketing grain prices regionally and globally.

In New England, farmers’ crops were killed and damaged by sudden frosts that took hold of the region throughout the summer, and in Ireland, which was already ready to suffer from economic hardships, starvation became a dire crisis. (It should be noted that the impact this event had on Ireland’s crops had nothing to do with the Irish potato famine that happened in the 1840s and 50s). The impact of this agricultural strain was felt most by the working-class populations, who found it nearly impossible to afford basic sustenance among rising food prices. The devastating famine also coincided with an outbreak of typhoid which on its own killed nearly 40,000 people. 

Meanwhile, China and India experienced abnormal monsoon seasons, as these storms’ patterns were disrupted by the global temperature drop. Some areas experienced more violent storms and significant flooding, while other areas suffered severe and prolonged droughts. In particular, China’s Yunnan province was forced to endure a famine that lasted from 1815-1818 that came as a result of this flooding and cold weather that lasted throughout their growing season.

The alteration of the local climate and environment also caused trouble in the Bay of Bengal, as it aided in the mutation of a particularly contagious strain of cholera. The illness quickly spread through communities killing tens of millions of people in what became a global pandemic that lasted until 1823. This outbreak of cholera, also known as the Blue Death, is considered to be the first pandemic relating to the illness.

The global crisis led to many riots throughout many major cities, as the effects of malnutrition, typhus, and cholera continued to grow and ravage communities around the world, and many people, in their desperation, resorted to looting, and mass migration in search of food along with their rioting.

In addition to its devastating consequences, historians argue that this global event had an impact on the literary culture of the period, and how it progressed. 

One example of this can be found in how writer Li Yuyang was inspired by the suffering he experienced and witnessed in Yunnan province during the “Year Without Summer.” He wrote a poem titled “The Seven Sorrows of Yunnan,” by writing in this style of the seven sorrows —a style of ancient Chinese poetry that details experiences of injustice and tragedy through the senses— Li Yuyang effectively revived the style of poetry.

Additionally, historians often note that the gloomy, unseasonal weather prevalent during the summer of 1816 influenced many European scholars of the time. Notably, Mary Shelley, began work on her first published novel, Frankenstein, during this time. 

Although the flow of many societies was thrown off kilter by the disaster of Mount Tambora, the world eventually began to recover from its effects as time moved on. At the time, due to the limited scope of communications and scientific understanding of volcanic activity, researchers did not have the understanding necessary to connect extreme weather patterns to a volcanic eruption. It was only later, with advancements in the meteorology and geology fields, that researchers fully grasped the extent to which volcanic activity could influence global climate.