AD 536 Climate Event Mystery

In AD 536, people across parts of Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia recorded a strange veil in the sky that dimmed the sun, cooled the climate, and helped trigger crop failures and famine. Modern evidence from ice cores and tree rings now points strongly to major volcanic eruptions, including one around 536 and another around 540, as the cause of the dust veil and prolonged cooling. What remains debated is the exact location of the volcano that caused the event.

Previous Fact Next Fact