Local History: 1816 - The Year Without A Summer

The eruption of Mount Tambora in the spring of 1815 was the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history. Exploding with a force of 25,000 nuclear bombs, the eruption ejected enough material into the atmosphere to darken the skies for months and caused a global cooling event that has come to be known as The Year without a Summer. We'll learn about the many impacts of the eruption here and abroad, from the immediate destruction of the Tambora culture in Sumbawa, Indonesia, to the vast crop failures, famines, pandemics and freak weather events across the Northern Hemisphere, to the numerous societal influences on literature, science, art, and public health. Tambora continues to inform us today, as we grapple with a slower but no less disruptive assault on the global climate system. Tambora may be history, but its lessons shed light on how quickly the world can change forever.

Registration is required. This event is free and open to all.

About the Presenter
Will Broussard is the former Outreach Coordinator for the Mount Washington Observatory where he developed virtual and in-person educational programming around Mount Washington's unique cultural, scientific, and ecological history. Currently he serves on the board of the Tin Mountain Conservation Center and is program coordinator for the Mid-Coast Audubon Society of Maine. When not pursuing his environmental conservation interests, he harvests and ships mushrooms for North Spore Mushroom Company in Portland, Maine.