Qualla: The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History https://qualla.com/laki-eruption en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:06 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/hero-small.webp Qualla: The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History https://qualla.com/laki-eruption The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History: Introduction https://qualla.com/laki-eruption/ Photo credit CC BY-SA 3.0. On June 8, 1783, the earth split open in Iceland. The Laki volcanic fissure began an eight-month eruption that produced 14 cubic kilometers of lava - enough to bury Manhattan 800 feet deep. The lava was devastating, but the real killer was the gas. Laki released 120 million tons of sulfur dioxide, creating a toxic haze that spread across Europe. In Iceland, a quarter of the population died. In Britain, thousands died from respiratory illness. Crops failed across the Northern Hemisphere. Some historians argue the resulting famine helped spark the French Revolution. A single eruption in a remote island nation changed the course of world history.

Read more: The Laki Eruption on Qualla

Image: CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/ge7h-the-laki-eruption-the-volcano-that-changed-world-h-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History: The Fissure https://qualla.com/laki-eruption/ Photo credit Chmee2/Valtameri, CC BY-SA 3.0. Laki wasn't a single volcano - it was a 27-kilometer fissure that opened in southern Iceland, spewing lava from 130 craters along its length. Over eight months, the eruption produced one of the largest lava flows in recorded history. Rivers of molten rock covered 600 square kilom...

Read more: The Laki Eruption on Qualla

Image: Chmee2/Valtameri | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/ge7h-the-laki-eruption-the-volcano-that-changed-world-h-the-fissure.mp3 0:06 2 full The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History: The Haze https://qualla.com/laki-eruption/ Photo credit Iceland_location_map.svg: NordNordWest derivative work: Виктор В (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0. By July 1783, a blue haze had spread across Europe. The sulfurous fog blocked sunlight and created vivid red sunsets. Benjamin Franklin, serving as American ambassador to France, noted the unusual conditions and correctly theorized they might be volcanic in origin. The haze was ...

Read more: The Laki Eruption on Qualla

Image: Iceland_location_map.svg: NordNordWest derivative work: Виктор В (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/ge7h-the-laki-eruption-the-volcano-that-changed-world-h-the-haze.mp3 0:06 3 full The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History: The Famine https://qualla.com/laki-eruption/ Photo credit Rémih, CC BY-SA 3.0. In Iceland, the consequences were catastrophic. Volcanic gases poisoned the grass. Livestock that ate the contaminated vegetation died - 80% of sheep, 50% of cattle and horses. Without livestock, Icelanders starved. The resulting famine, known as the Móðuharðindin ('Mist Hardship...

Read more: The Laki Eruption on Qualla

Image: Rémih | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/ge7h-the-laki-eruption-the-volcano-that-changed-world-h-the-famine.mp3 0:06 4 full The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History: The Climate https://qualla.com/laki-eruption/ Photo credit Rémih, CC BY-SA 3.0. The sulfur dioxide Laki released formed sulfuric acid droplets in the stratosphere, reflecting sunlight and cooling the Northern Hemisphere. Europe experienced one of its coldest winters in 1783-1784. The following summer brought severe drought. The climate disruption may have e...

Read more: The Laki Eruption on Qualla

Image: Rémih | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/ge7h-the-laki-eruption-the-volcano-that-changed-world-h-the-climate.mp3 0:06 5 full The Laki Eruption: The Volcano That Changed World History: The Revolution https://qualla.com/laki-eruption/ Photo credit Chmee2, CC BY 3.0. The crop failures of 1783-1784 contributed to food shortages across Europe. In France, bread prices rose sharply. The rural poor suffered most. When Louis XVI called the Estates-General in 1789, grievances about bread and taxation combined with Enlightenment ideals to spark revol...

Read more: The Laki Eruption on Qualla

Image: Chmee2 | CC BY 3.0

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/g/e/7/h/laki-eruption-wk/ge7h-the-laki-eruption-the-volcano-that-changed-world-h-the-revolution.mp3 0:06 6 full