TY - JOUR
T1 - Extreme climate after massive eruption of Alaska's Okmok volcano in 43 bce and effects on the late roman republic and ptolemaic kingdom
AU - McConnell, Joseph R.
AU - Sigl, Michael
AU - Plunkett, Gill
AU - Burke, Andrea
AU - Kim, Woon Mi
AU - Raible, Christoph C.
AU - Wilson, Andrew I.
AU - Manning, Joseph G.
AU - Ludlow, Francis
AU - Chellman, Nathan J.
AU - Innes, Helen M.
AU - Yang, Zhen
AU - Larsen, Jessica F.
AU - Schaefer, Janet R.
AU - Kipfstuhl, Sepp
AU - Mojtabavi, Seyedhamidreza
AU - Wilhelms, Frank
AU - Opel, Thomas
AU - Meyer, Hanno
AU - Steffensen, Jørgen Peder
PY - 2020/7/7
Y1 - 2020/7/7
N2 - The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE triggered a power struggle that ultimately ended the Roman Republic and, eventually, the Ptolemaic Kingdom, leading to the rise of the Roman Empire. Climate proxies and written documents indicate that this struggle occurred during a period of unusually inclement weather, famine, and disease in the Mediterranean region; historians have previously speculated that a large volcanic eruption of unknown origin was the most likely cause. Here we show using well-dated volcanic fallout records in six Arctic ice cores that one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the past 2,500 y occurred in early 43 BCE, with distinct geochemistry of tephra deposited during the event identifying the Okmok volcano in Alaska as the source. Climate proxy records show that 43 and 42 BCE were among the coldest years of recent millennia in the Northern Hemisphere at the start of one of the coldest decades. Earth system modeling suggests that radiative forcing from this massive, high-latitude eruption led to pronounced changes in hydroclimate, including seasonal temperatures in specific Mediterranean regions as much as 7 °C below normal during the 2 y period following the eruption and unusually wet conditions. While it is difficult to establish direct causal linkages to thinly documented historical events, the wet and very cold conditions from this massive eruption on the opposite side of Earth probably resulted in crop failures, famine, and disease, exacerbating social unrest and contributing to political realignments throughout the Mediterranean region at this critical juncture of Western civilization.
AB - The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE triggered a power struggle that ultimately ended the Roman Republic and, eventually, the Ptolemaic Kingdom, leading to the rise of the Roman Empire. Climate proxies and written documents indicate that this struggle occurred during a period of unusually inclement weather, famine, and disease in the Mediterranean region; historians have previously speculated that a large volcanic eruption of unknown origin was the most likely cause. Here we show using well-dated volcanic fallout records in six Arctic ice cores that one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the past 2,500 y occurred in early 43 BCE, with distinct geochemistry of tephra deposited during the event identifying the Okmok volcano in Alaska as the source. Climate proxy records show that 43 and 42 BCE were among the coldest years of recent millennia in the Northern Hemisphere at the start of one of the coldest decades. Earth system modeling suggests that radiative forcing from this massive, high-latitude eruption led to pronounced changes in hydroclimate, including seasonal temperatures in specific Mediterranean regions as much as 7 °C below normal during the 2 y period following the eruption and unusually wet conditions. While it is difficult to establish direct causal linkages to thinly documented historical events, the wet and very cold conditions from this massive eruption on the opposite side of Earth probably resulted in crop failures, famine, and disease, exacerbating social unrest and contributing to political realignments throughout the Mediterranean region at this critical juncture of Western civilization.
KW - Climate forcing
KW - Ice core
KW - Okmok
KW - Rome
KW - Volcano
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2002722117
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2002722117
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32571905
AN - SCOPUS:85088101484
VL - 117
SP - 15443
EP - 15449
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 27
ER -