In April 1815, Mount Tambora on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia, erupted with a violence never seen before in recorded history. A massive amount of pulverized rock, weighing an estimated 10 billion tons, was ejected into the atmosphere. These rocks and ash reached into the stratosphere where it spread out enveloping the skies and blocking the sun for months on end. The eruption also released a substantial quantity of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, leading to the formation of sulfate aerosols, which caused significant cooling of the Earth's surface. The cold and the altered weather patterns triggered crop failures and famine across many parts of the world.
Karl von Drais riding his draisine
Click Here to read more Amusing Planet
