The Year When The Sun Did Not Shine
By Anna
@LadyDuck (471500)
Switzerland
July 31, 2016 6:56am CST
Every summer, we complain about the summer heat, but what would happen if the sun should stop shining for one summer?
This event happened in 1816, exactly 200 years ago, and it's known as "the year without summer".
The disaster was caused by a massive eruption, in April 1815, of the Mount Tambora in Indonesia.
The ashes were sent high into the stratosphere, creating a permanent fog that was the cause of the lack of sunlight during the following summer.
The year 1816 was an agricultural disaster. All the crops were lost, causing the biggest famine in the Western world.
Events like this one are exceptional, but not impossible.
Do you think we are ready to face a tragedy like this in our days?
I fear we are not.
77 people like this
79 responses
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 16
There were no sunlight in the North of the United States, England, Ireland, France, Germany and Switzerland. That was the cause of so many deaths in Ireland and the massive immigration to the United States. I have discovered this fact reading the history of Switzerland, only the south was able to save some crops.
12 people like this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
1 Aug 16
@LadyDuck Such an event may or may not happen.But I do hope it does not happen. We are not ready for such a tragic event.
4 people like this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
3 Aug 16
@LadyDuck But some times I have a feeling of dread,thinking that something like that may just happen.Have you seen the movie ''The Day After Tomorrow''?
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
3 Aug 16
@silvermist Yes I have seen that movie and several others about natural disasters. Of course something like this can happen one day.
2 people like this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
31 Jul 16
Alfredo you are scaring the sh..out of me
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 16
@louievill No, do not be sared, keep your calm, smile and fasten the seat belts.
5 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
31 Jul 16
We had enough problems with the recent eruption in Iceland which was clearly a lower magnitude event. Of course the really famous one was caused by the Earth being struck by a meteor and resulting in the extinction of many dinosaurs.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
31 Jul 16
The Year Without a Summer, yes, I've heard about it. In fact, there was one farmer who managed to get a crop in in a small town in New England and because of that he saved the whole town. Its also the year that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, because what was supposed to be a nice summer holiday turned out to be a cold, wet, nasty one.
3 people like this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
31 Jul 16
I think the movie " Krakatoa East of Java " was based on this, we had already experienced something similar, Pinatubo in 1991 was one of the most powerful this century, really scary.
3 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
1 Aug 16
the sun did not shine here too when the volcano Pinatubo erupted
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
5 Aug 16
@ridingbet Yes it did, but it was not as powerful as Tambora, in fact we had not the same problem, we saw the sun in Summer even after the Pinatubo eruption.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
5 Aug 16
@LadyDuck indeed, but i think the eruption of Pinatubo caused the atmosphere of the whole world in jeopardy. it somehow affected the environment of the entire earth.
1 person likes this
@Tierkreisze (1609)
• Philippines
31 Jul 16
My high school teacher once told me of a time when volcanic ash used to block the sky. They would sweep their desks every morning because ash would pile up there. And with all those ash around, that must be a really bad time for asthmatic people too.
But the agricultural effects of a volcanic eruption must be way worse.
2 people like this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
31 Jul 16
Your teacher was talking about Mt.Pinatubo euption, the whole Philippines was full of Ashes and lahar, I could not believe that our new house roof gutter just collapsed by the weight of lahar that accumulated like cement
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 16
@louievill Oh my goodness. I knew that you were covered by ashes but not so much.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)
• China
1 Aug 16
We are sometimes unthankful to the sunlight and even forget that there is no humanbeing without sunlight.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
31 Jul 16
People would freak out if it happened today @LadyDuck .
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 16
@nanette64 You are right, how can I find those stupid pokemons without their phones.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
31 Jul 16
@LadyDuck Especially if the computers and cell phones don't work. People will go bonkers.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (19949)
• United States
1 Aug 16
That's scary. I hope that never happens again.
2 people like this