The 1831 CE mystery eruption identified as Zavaritskii caldera, Simushir Island (Kurils)

Polar ice cores and historical records evidence a large-magnitude volcanic eruption in 1831 CE. This event was estimated to have injected ~13 Tg of sulfur (S) into the stratosphere which produced various atmospheric optical phenomena and led to Northern Hemisphere climate cooling of ~1 °C. The source of this volcanic event remains enigmatic, though one hypothesis has linked it to a modest phreatomagmatic eruption of Ferdinandea in the Strait of Sicily, which may have emitted additional S through magma-crust interactions with evaporite rocks. Here, we undertake a high-resolution multiproxy geochemical analysis of ice-core archives spanning the 1831 CE volcanic event. S isotopes confirm a major Northern Hemisphere stratospheric eruption but, importantly, rule out significant contributions from external evaporite S. In multiple ice cores, we identify cryptotephra layers of low K andesite-dacite glass shards occurring in summer 1831 CE and immediately prior to the stratospheric S fallout. This tephra matches the chemistry of the youngest Plinian eruption of Zavaritskii, a remote nested caldera on Simushir Island (Kurils). Radiocarbon ages confirm a recent (<300 y) eruption of Zavaritskii, and erupted volume estimates are consistent with a magnitude 5 to 6 event. The reconstructed radiative forcing of Zavaritskii (-2 ± 1 W m<sup>-2</sup>) is comparable to the 1991 CE Pinatubo eruption and can readily account for the climate cooling in 1831-1833 CE. These data provide compelling evidence that Zavaritskii was the source of the 1831 CE mystery eruption and solve a confounding case of multiple closely spaced observed and unobserved volcanic eruptions.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2024-12-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416699122
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.26

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

The 1831 CE mystery eruption identified as Zavaritskii caldera, Simushir Island (Kurils)

Samantha Engwell, Gill Plunkett, Peter M Abbott, William R. Hutchison et al.
6 citations
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
2.26
article

The 1831 CE mystery eruption identified as Zavaritskii caldera, Simushir Island (Kurils)

Samantha Engwell, Gill Plunkett, Peter M Abbott, William R. Hutchison, Anders Svensson, Patrick Sugden, Siwan M. Davies, Nathan Chellman, Andrea Burke, Joanne Bourgeois, Oleg Dirksen, Ben Fitzhugh, Michael Sigl, В. В. Пономарева, Maxim Portnyagin, Thomas J. Aubry, Joseph R. McConnell, Magali Verkerk, Breanyn MacInnes
article en
6 citations

Abstract

Polar ice cores and historical records evidence a large-magnitude volcanic eruption in 1831 CE. This event was estimated to have injected ~13 Tg of sulfur (S) into the stratosphere which produced various atmospheric optical phenomena and led to Northern Hemisphere climate cooling of ~1 °C. The source of this volcanic event remains enigmatic, though one hypothesis has linked it to a modest phreatomagmatic eruption of Ferdinandea in the Strait of Sicily, which may have emitted additional S through magma-crust interactions with evaporite rocks. Here, we undertake a high-resolution multiproxy geochemical analysis of ice-core archives spanning the 1831 CE volcanic event. S isotopes confirm a major Northern Hemisphere stratospheric eruption but, importantly, rule out significant contributions from external evaporite S. In multiple ice cores, we identify cryptotephra layers of low K andesite-dacite glass shards occurring in summer 1831 CE and immediately prior to the stratospheric S fallout. This tephra matches the chemistry of the youngest Plinian eruption of Zavaritskii, a remote nested caldera on Simushir Island (Kurils). Radiocarbon ages confirm a recent (<300 y) eruption of Zavaritskii, and erupted volume estimates are consistent with a magnitude 5 to 6 event. The reconstructed radiative forcing of Zavaritskii (-2 ± 1 W m<sup>-2</sup>) is comparable to the 1991 CE Pinatubo eruption and can readily account for the climate cooling in 1831-1833 CE. These data provide compelling evidence that Zavaritskii was the source of the 1831 CE mystery eruption and solve a confounding case of multiple closely spaced observed and unobserved volcanic eruptions.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 122(1)
University of Bern (CH), University of Copenhagen (DK), Queen's University Belfast (GB), Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (CH), Russian Academy of Sciences (RU), British Geological Survey (GB), University of St Andrews (GB), University of Washington (US), Queen's University (CA), University of Exeter (GB), Central Washington University (US), GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (DE), Swansea University (GB), Queens University (BD), Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (RU), Earth and Space Research (US), Desert Research Institute (US)
National Science Foundation, University of Bern, Past Global Changes, UK Research and Innovation, Leverhulme Trust, University of Exeter, European Commission, British Geological Survey, Russian Science Foundation, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
2.26
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.