Collaborative Research on the Climatic Effects of the 1783-1784 Laki Volcanic Eruption

This project will model the Laki volcanic eruption in Iceland in 1783-1784 in order to assess the impact of high latitude eruptions on the climate system. Historical data are sufficiently detailed to permit an estimate of the radiative forcing arising from the eruption with a high degree of confidence. Estimates of gaseous and particulate emissions will be fed to an atmospheric circulation model and its results compared with observations.

Broader impacts

The opportunity to explore the impact of volcanic eruptions on the polar troposphere has wide-ranging benefits to the scientific community and public alike, since the Arctic is extremely sensitive to even small changes in climate, whether they are natural or anthropogenic in origin.