The Year When There Was No Summer
The Frightful, Summer-less Year of 1815
This piece presented investigates geoengineering, which modifies Earth's ecosystems using technology to combat climate change.
When Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, its pollutants traveled throughout the world and blocked the sun for almost a whole year. Famines spread over the Northern Hemisphere as a result of the damage this caused to agriculture. One of the worst times in human history occurred during that year—the year without summer. Why, then, are some contemporary scholars considering doing it again?
It's April 10th, 1815, and the sun will set in a short while. A boom from Mount Tambora's eruption on an island in modern-day Indonesia may be heard more than 2,000 kilometers away. Steam and ash plumes carrying sulfur rise thousands of meters into the sky producing ominous storm clouds with lightning and soot.
Although this eruption will go down in history as the biggest one ever, its effects are still only beginning to be felt. Tambora's emissions spread around the world as they rose high into the atmosphere, blocking out the light for almost a whole year. 1816's foggy sky and chilly conditions had a disastrous effect on agriculture, causing famines to spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Countries battle diseases, and artists create gloomy memorials to these ominous-seeming times. One of the darkest eras in human history, literally, this was the year without summer. Why then are some contemporary scholars trying to duplicate it? No one wants to experience the same level of starvation and hopelessness as this time.
However, some researchers are intrigued by the idea of utilizing sulfurous clouds to screen out the light and, ideally, mitigate the consequences of global warming.
This is just one of many ideas in the field of "geoengineering," which refers to a class of intentional, extensive interventions in Earth's natural systems designed to aid in limiting climate change. Different geoengineering strategies affect various systems. Solar radiation management includes any plans to cool the globe by reducing the quantity of sunlight that reaches it.
Some of these ideas are very large-scale, such as the plans to build a colossal sunshade in Earth's orbit or an efficient replica of volcanic plumes. Others are more constrained and concentrate on improving natural cooling mechanisms. For instance, by creating vast swathes of white surfaces, scientists could increase the size of marine clouds or increase the amount of sunlight that Earth reflects.
Many of these plans strike us as being a little odd. However, there is reason to think they could succeed, not the least because of unavoidable occurrences like Tambora's eruption. Volcanic eruptions have been known to periodically chill the temperature, according to scientists. The Krakatoa explosion in 1883 and the Pinatubo eruption in 1991 both resulted in a drop in the average world temperature for up to a year, by at least half a degree Celsius.
These widespread and quick-acting cooling effects are quite dangerous. Being a chaotic system, the Earth can experience innumerable unanticipated ripple effects from even the tiniest adjustments. Even the most sophisticated computer models are unable to accurately predict how or where decreasing temperatures would affect precipitation, extreme weather, and other climate phenomena.
The control of solar radiation in one country may result in an unnatural disaster in another, resulting in severe weather or agricultural failures like those that followed Tambora's eruption.
Furthermore, solar radiation management doesn't address the greenhouse gases that are driving global warming, even if these plans manage to safely cool the earth.
While we concentrate on actually removing CO2 from the air, the world would have to put up with these extremely experimental band-aids for at least a few decades. And if we prematurely removed that bandage, global temperatures might quickly rise once again, ushering in a period of extreme super warming. Management of sun radiation is dangerous for these and other reasons.
To prevent the Great Barrier Reef from additional warming and bleaching, researchers are currently doing small-scale trials that include improving marine clouds. The majority of experts concur that we should prioritize finding ways to reduce emissions and take CO2 out of the atmosphere.
There are good reasons to continue researching these more forceful strategies, nevertheless. Geoengineering may be humanity's last recourse in the future since difficult circumstances need extreme methods.
Furthermore, a rogue actor with sufficient funds may astonishingly easily carry out some of these schemes. So, if someone begins geoengineering without official authorization, we'll want to be ready.
The fact that people are currently doing extensive atmospheric interventions, however, may be the most crucial justification for looking into the effects of geoengineering.
Climate change is, in many respects, an inadvertent geoengineering experiment driven by the gases produced over many years by the burning of fossil fuels. And if we don't act fast to reduce emissions and remove CO2 from the atmosphere, summer might never be the same.
Original Research Data Investigated by Geoengineer, David Biello
About the Creator
Althea March
I am a writer who searches for facts to create compelling nonfictional accounts about our everyday lives as human beings, and I am an avid writer involved in creating short fictional stories that help to stir the imagination for anyone.
Keep reading
More stories from Althea March and writers in Earth and other communities.
Kangaroos: Their Unlikely Biology
Australia is known for having a lot of wildlife that tries to kill you. For example, octopuses with blue rings, saltwater crocodiles that prowl the estuaries, bull sharks and box jellyfish that frolic along the coastline, and funnel web spiders contain a deadly neurotoxin. While huntsman spiders are less likely to cause serious illness, they are far more likely to terrify humans with their speed and size.
By Althea March3 years ago in Earth
Himalayas Bare and Rocky After Reduced Winter Snowfall, Scientists Warn
The Himalayas, often described as the world’s “Third Pole,” are facing a dramatic and worrying transformation. Scientists are warning that reduced winter snowfall is leaving vast stretches of the mountain range bare, rocky, and increasingly vulnerable to long-term environmental damage. Once known for their thick snow blankets and powerful glaciers, parts of the Himalayas are now showing exposed rock earlier than ever before—an alarming sign of climate stress in one of Earth’s most critical ecosystems. A Visible Change in the World’s Highest Mountains Winter snowfall plays a vital role in the Himalayan climate system. Snow acts as a protective layer, insulating glaciers and regulating the slow release of meltwater into rivers during warmer months. However, researchers monitoring satellite data and ground stations report that recent winters have brought significantly less snowfall across large areas of the range. As a result, snowlines are rising higher up the slopes, leaving lower and mid-altitude regions exposed. This has turned once-white mountain landscapes into expanses of dark rock, which absorb more heat from the sun, accelerating warming in a dangerous feedback loop. Why Reduced Snowfall Matters Snow is more than a scenic feature—it is essential to the health of Himalayan glaciers. When snowfall declines, glaciers lose their main source of replenishment. At the same time, exposed ice and rock melt faster under direct sunlight. Scientists warn that this imbalance is speeding up glacier retreat across the Himalayas. Many glaciers are now shrinking at rates not previously recorded, threatening the long-term stability of water systems that support nearly two billion people across South and Southeast Asia. Impact on Asia’s Major Rivers The Himalayas feed some of the world’s most important rivers, including the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, and Mekong. These rivers depend on seasonal snow and ice melt to maintain consistent flow throughout the year. Reduced snowfall means less stored water for the dry season. In the short term, faster melting can cause floods and landslides. In the long term, however, shrinking glaciers could lead to water shortages, affecting agriculture, hydropower, and drinking supplies across multiple countries. A Growing Risk of Disasters Bare, rocky slopes are far more unstable than snow-covered ones. Snow helps bind loose material together, while exposed rock and soil increase the likelihood of landslides and avalanches. Scientists have already observed a rise in slope failures and glacial lake outburst floods in the region. As glaciers retreat, meltwater often accumulates in fragile lakes dammed by loose rock and ice. These lakes can burst suddenly, releasing destructive floods that threaten mountain communities and downstream infrastructure. Climate Change at the Core Researchers agree that climate change is the primary driver behind the declining snowfall. Rising global temperatures are altering weather patterns, causing more winter precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow. Even small temperature increases at high altitudes can drastically change how moisture behaves. Additionally, warming oceans and shifting atmospheric circulation are affecting the timing and intensity of winter storms that traditionally brought snow to the Himalayas. Effects on Local Communities and Wildlife Mountain communities that rely on predictable snowfall for farming, tourism, and water storage are already feeling the effects. Farmers report changes in planting cycles, while winter tourism has declined in some regions due to unreliable snow conditions. Wildlife is also under pressure. Species adapted to cold environments are losing habitat as snow cover shrinks. Plants that depend on snowmelt are struggling to survive in drier, warmer conditions, disrupting fragile alpine ecosystems. Scientists Call for Urgent Monitoring and Action Experts stress the importance of improved monitoring of snowfall, glacier health, and water flows across the Himalayan region. Better data can help governments plan for future water management challenges and disaster risks. At the same time, scientists emphasize that local adaptation alone is not enough. Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions remains critical to slowing temperature rise and preserving what remains of the Himalayan snow and ice. What the Future Holds If current trends continue, large parts of the Himalayas could see permanent changes within decades. Reduced snowfall and accelerating glacier loss may reshape landscapes, ecosystems, and human livelihoods on an unprecedented scale. The sight of bare, rocky Himalayan slopes is more than a visual change—it is a warning signal. The world’s highest mountains are responding rapidly to a warming planet, and the consequences will extend far beyond the peaks themselves.
By Fiazahmedbrohi 3 days ago in Earth
Biochar: Unlocking the Potential for Climate Change Mitigation and Carbon Markets
Biochar is created through the process of pyrolysis, where organic materials such as agricultural waste, wood, or even certain types of plastic are heated in the absence of oxygen. This process breaks down the biomass into three main products: gas, liquid (bio-oil), and solid carbon-rich residue—biochar. Unlike organic matter that decomposes naturally, releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere, biochar locks carbon in a stable form that can persist in the soil for hundreds or even thousands of years.
By Bestonpyrolysis6 days ago in Earth
A Dart at Dusk
Seconds ago, the sullen sun set on the two of us… my exuberant furry companion and me. A fresh breeze embraces us, delivering welcome relief from the day’s oppressive heat. His typical stumbling and staggering along — apace with a sloth — has turned into trip-trapping, high-stepping, almost skipping along.
By Angie the Archivist 📚🪶a day ago in Petlife
Comments