Volcanic air pollution and mortality in France 1783?1784

Grattan J.P., Rabartin, R., Self, S. & Thordarson, Th. 2005. Volcanic air pollution and mortality in France 1783-84. Comptes Rendu Geosciences. 641-651 This item is available in both English and French in the PDF file.

The impact that volcanic eruptions may have upon environments far from the volcanic source is conventionally assumed to depend on climatic modification by emitted gases. However, recent research has suggested that the damage caused by the direct impact of volcanic gases, mainly H2SO4, may be profound. This paper highlights the severity of this mechanism by reference to human sickness and death in France and contiguous with the eruption of the Laki fissure in Iceland in 1783. This work demonstrates the gains which may be made by interdisciplinary teams of researchers and illustrates the valuable knowledge that remains to be revealed by further research in the French historical record. Il est g?n?ralement admis que les gaz ?mis au cours d??ruptions volcaniques sont les principaux agents responsables de l?impact des ?ruptions sur de grandes distances, par leur action perturbatrice sur le climat. Cependant, des ?tudes r?centes ont r?v?l? la gravit? des dommages provoqu?s par l?impact direct et local des gaz volcaniques, principalement sous forme de H2SO4. Cet article souligne l?importance de ce m?canisme, en se basant sur des donn?es d?mographiques sur la mortalit? et l??tat de sant? de la population fran?aise pendant l??ruption fissurale du Laki, qui eut lieu en 1783 en Islande. Ce travail d?montre les avantages d?une approche interdisciplinaire en recherche et illustre la qualit? et l?importance des informations pr?serv?es dans les archives historiques fran?aises, ressources encore largement inexploit?es.

Peer reviewed