Tag Archives: Triggered

How El Niño Triggered Famine in Early Modern Europe: Uncovering the Climate Crisis’ Impact

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Impact of El Niño on Crop Failures

El Niño’s Impact on European Agriculture: Crop Failures and Price Hikes

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El Niño, a climate phenomenon affecting the Pacific Ocean region, significantly influenced the economy and climate of Europe, resulting in widespread famine from 1500 to 1800.

During El Niño, the warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific disrupts trade winds, which leads to altered global rainfall patterns. The cooling phase, known as La Niña, and the oscillation between these two phases is referred to as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

This climatic variation poses severe risks in tropical and subtropical areas, notably in Australia, where it can lead to droughts and wildfires, and in the Americas, where it causes increased rainfall.

However, until recently, the focus on El Niño’s effects on Europe was minimal. Emil Esmaili from Columbia University and his research team studied records from 160 famines in early modern Europe, correlating them with El Niño and La Niña data derived from tree rings.

The findings revealed that over 40% of famines in Central Europe during this era were directly linked to El Niño events.

El Niño typically increases rainfall in the region, which can lead to excess soil moisture, resulting in crop failures. Though it did not directly trigger famine in other European areas, it raised the likelihood of famine occurrences by 24% across all nine regions studied.

To better understand this correlation, Esmaili’s team assessed grain and fish prices, discovering that El Niño significantly drove up food prices throughout Europe for several years.

Researchers, including David Yubilaba from the University of Sydney, indicate that ENSO events can still lead to food insecurity and malnutrition in low-income households in regions such as South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and parts of Africa.

While El Niño continues to influence the climate in Europe, its impact on food security is expected to be less severe today. “Modern agricultural practices are now more resilient, weather forecasting has greatly improved, and markets have become more consolidated,” says Ubilaba.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

A Major Volcanic Eruption Could Have Triggered the Black Death

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A recent study suggests that volcanic eruptions from several years prior may have contributed to the devastating impact of the Black Death on medieval Europe’s population.

The researchers discovered that a period of abnormally cold summers in the mid-1340s, potentially linked to one significant volcanic eruption or several smaller ones, led to severe famines throughout the Mediterranean.

They argue that this chain reaction ultimately caused disease-carrying fleas to arrive at European ports, resulting in mortality rates of up to 60 percent.

“This is something I’ve wanted to understand for a long time,” stated Professor Wolf Bungen, a paleoclimatologist from the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge. “What were the origins and transmission factors of the Black Death, and how extraordinary were they?”

“Why did this event occur in this specific region, at this precise moment in European history? That is a fascinating question, yet one that requires collective insights to answer.”

Professor Ulf Bungen takes ring samples from trees in the Pyrenees – Credit: Ulf Bungen

Bungen noted that BBC Science Focus has provided clues through tree rings and ice cores—ancient ice layers that have preserved chemicals from historic volcanic eruptions—indicating that volcanic activity contributed to the extreme climatic conditions.

“If a particular year experiences unusual cold, heat, dryness, or wetness, we aim to uncover the reasons behind it,” Bungen remarked to BBC Science Focus.

“Volcanoes emit substantial amounts of sulfur into the upper atmosphere, prompting collaborations with ice core experts to gain insights on past eruptions.

“This can lead to subsequent cold summers, a phenomenon known as post-eruption cooling.”

This close-up image of tree rings shows the “blue rings” of 1345 and 1346, during the cold and wet summers – Credit: Ulf Büntgen

It was left to climate historian Dr. Martin Bauch from the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe in Germany to correlate this climate data with historical events.

He found that the harsh cold resulted in significant famine across the Mediterranean, and the responses of the Italian republics of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa eventually facilitated the plague’s arrival in Europe.

“For over a century, these influential Italian city-states established extensive trade networks throughout the Mediterranean and Black Seas, employing an effective system to stave off starvation,” Bauch explained. “However, this ultimately contributed to even greater disasters.”

The fleas carrying the plague bacterium Y. pestis likely reached Mediterranean ports aboard these grain ships, transferring to rats, cats, and humans, and quickly propagating the disease across Europe, decimating its population.

The study concluded that volcanic activity initiated a sequence of events culminating in the plague throughout medieval Europe.

Bungen noted that this narrative continues to resonate in today’s world, over seven centuries later.

“While the coincidental convergence of factors leading to the Black Death may be rare, the probability of zoonotic disease outbreaks and pandemics amidst climate change is likely to escalate in our interconnected world,” he explained.

“This is particularly crucial in light of our recent experiences with COVID-19.”

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Volcanic Eruptions Could Have Triggered the Black Death’s Arrival in Europe

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Bubonic plague entered Europe in the late 1340s.

CPA Media / Alamy

The Black Death, a devastating outbreak of bubonic plague that decimated up to 60 percent of medieval Europe’s population, may have been triggered by volcanic eruptions around 1345.

The bacterium responsible for the plague is Yersinia pestis, transmitted by fleas that infest rodents and infect humans through bites. The origin of the 14th-century epidemic in Europe remains unclear, though historical accounts indicate that grain shipments from the Black Sea to Italy could have played a role.

“The Black Death was pivotal in the Middle Ages, and we sought to understand why such immense quantities of grain were transported to Italy, particularly in 1347,” states Martin Bauch of the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe, Germany.

To explore this, Bork and his colleagues, including Wolf Bungen from the University of Cambridge, examined climate data stemming from tree rings, ice cores, and historical accounts.

Reports from Japan, China, Germany, France, and Italy revealed a decline in sunlight and an increase in cloud cover from 1345 to 1349, likely due to a sulfur-rich volcanic eruption or multiple eruptions in an unidentified tropical region, according to Bauch and Büngen.

Data from Greenland and Antarctica’s ice cores and thousands of tree-ring samples across eight native European areas indicate significant climate shifts may have occurred during this period.

Moreover, researchers uncovered records showing that Italian officials, faced with famine due to harsh weather and poor harvests, took preemptive measures in 1347 to import grain from the Mongols of the Golden Horde near the Sea of Azov.

“They operated with exceptional professionalism and efficiency to mitigate soaring prices and impending starvation through grain imports before hunger led to mortality,” Bauch explained. “As these societies had effective famine-response strategies, the plague bacterium likely traveled alongside the grain.”

During that era, the causes of the plague were shrouded in mystery, with many attributing the outbreak to “astral alignments and toxic vapors emitted by earthquakes.”

Though the plague might have eventually invaded Europe, Bauch suggests the population decline would have been less severe without this proactive approach. “My point isn’t against preparedness but rather to highlight that successful measures in one area can inadvertently create challenges in others.”

Aparna Lal, a researcher at the Australian National University in Canberra, asserts that a “perfect storm of conditions” likely facilitated the Black Death’s arrival in Europe. “Rising food prices, well-documented hunger issues, and colder, wetter climates could have impaired immune defenses due to nutritional deficiencies and behavioral changes, including increased indoor congregation,” she says.

However, she notes that further research is necessary to clarify cause-and-effect dynamics. “The immediate disturbances caused by the eruptions seem to have significantly influenced local weather patterns, but, as mentioned previously, additional evidence is essential to confirm their role in the Black Death’s entry into Europe,” Lal emphasizes.

Science of the Renaissance: Italy

From the works of Brunelleschi and Botticelli to the genius of polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei, delve into the remarkable scientific minds and breakthroughs of the Renaissance that established Italy’s prime position in scientific advancement.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Coral Reefs Triggered Major Global Warming Events in Earth’s History

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Corals construct their skeletons from calcium carbonate, releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

Reinhard Dirscherl/Alamy

For the last 250 million years, coral reef systems have been crucial to the Earth’s climate, but perhaps not in the manner you might assume.

Coral reefs generate excess carbon dioxide because the formation of calcium carbonate, which constitutes coral skeletons, involves the release of greenhouse gases.

Certain plankton species utilize calcium carbonate to form their shells, and when these organisms perish, the mineral becomes buried on the ocean floor. In ecosystems dominated by coral, calcium and carbonate ions that typically nourish deep-sea plankton are rendered inaccessible.

Tristan Salles and his team at the University of Sydney conducted a modeling study on the interactions among shallow corals and deep-sea plankton over the last 250 million years, incorporating reconstructions of plate tectonics, climate simulations, and variations in sediment contribution to the ocean.

They determined that tectonic activity and geographic features foster periods with extensive shallow continental shelves, which provide optimal conditions for reef-building corals, thereby disrupting the coral-plankton dynamics.

As the area covered by coral reefs diminishes, calcium and alkali levels accumulate in the ocean, enhancing plankton productivity and increasing the burial of carbonate in the deep ocean. This shift contributes to lower CO2 concentrations and cooler temperatures.

The study revealed three significant disruptions in the carbon cycle over the past 250 million years. During these events—specifically in the Mid-Triassic, Mid-Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous—extensive coral reefs consumed vast amounts of calcium carbonate, resulting in notable ocean temperature increases.

Once the balance between shallow-sea corals and deep-sea plankton is disrupted, realignment can require hundreds of thousands to millions of years, noted Salles.

“Even if the system recovers from a significant crisis, achieving equilibrium will be a prolonged process, significantly extending beyond human timelines,” Salles elaborated.

On a brighter note, Salles observes that corals excel at absorbing excess nutrients to aid in reef building, even if planktonic nutrient growth gets excessive.

Currently, human-induced carbon dioxide emissions are driving unprecedented global warming and ocean acidification, endangering both corals and plankton, according to Salles. While the outcomes remain uncertain, the potential impact on ecosystems could be catastrophic.

“The feedback mechanisms we modeled span deep time and may not be relevant today. The current rate of change is too rapid for carbonate platform feedbacks to maintain similar significance.”

Alexander Skiles from the Australian National University in Canberra remarks that this research illustrates a “profoundly interconnected feedback cycle between ecosystems and climate.”

He suggested that while species are presumed to evolve and adapt to the climatic conditions dictated by “immutable physical and chemical processes,” it is increasingly evident that certain species are actively shaping the climate itself, leading to co-evolutionary feedback loops.

“Beyond corals, ancient microbial colonies like stromatolites have significantly influenced atmospheric carbon regulation,” Skiles pointed out.

“It is well-recognized that carbon is accelerating climate warming at an alarming rate. Corals contribute to this dynamic over extensive geological time, which may elucidate fluctuations between warmer and cooler periods.”

Source: www.newscientist.com

South Korea Elevates Cyber Threat Levels Following Data Center Incident that Triggered Hacking Nightmare

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South Korea’s intelligence agency has elevated the national cyber threat level due to fears that hackers may exploit the chaos caused by recent fires in government data centers, which have disrupted crucial digital infrastructure nationwide.

The National Cybersecurity Centre, managed by the Intelligence Reporting Agency, has raised its alert from “Warning” to “Warning” as of Monday, highlighting fears that hackers could take advantage of the vulnerabilities during recovery efforts.

The incident occurred on Friday evening at the National Information Resources Service in Great Jeon, approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Seoul. This facility is one of three operational government data centers that handle critical digital infrastructure across the nation.

Workers had relocated a Lithium-ion battery from the server room on the fifth floor to the basement when the fire started. It spread to other nearby batteries and servers, resulting in one worker sustaining first-degree burns, while firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze after 22 hours.


By Saturday morning, officials had shut down 647 government systems to prevent further damage. Government email and intranet systems were offline, along with mobile identification services, postal banks, complaint portals, and major government websites.

Schools lost access to student records, and tax deadlines passed without being processed. Real estate transactions faced delays due to the inability to verify digital documents. The national crematorium reservation system was impacted, and many hospitals and transport terminals initially left citizens without physical identification cards.

As of 1 PM on Tuesday, 89 out of the 647 affected systems had been restored, including significant government portals, postal services, and identity verification systems.

Officials estimate that 96 of the affected systems have suffered complete failure, necessitating a recovery period of about four weeks as they are moved to a large backup facility. This disruption is expected to persist through Chuseok, the major public holiday in early October.

President Lee Jae Myung issued an apology on Sunday. During a crisis meeting, he expressed dismay at the lack of a backup operating system, stating, “It was a foreseeable incident, but there were no countermeasures. It’s not that the measures didn’t work; they simply didn’t exist.”

When questioned about the backup procedures, an official remarked that they were “driving without a map.”

The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, set to be hosted in the southeastern city of Kyoto at the end of October, has raised security concerns as officials from the US, China, and other regions plan to attend.

In October 2022, a fire involving a lithium-ion battery at Kakao, the company behind the popular messaging app KakaoTalk, resulted in millions losing access to messaging, taxis, and digital payments, leading to national chaos.

Following the Kakao incident, parliament passed legislation mandating redundant systems and intervals between batteries and other equipment for internet service providers and data center operators.

The left-leaning Hankyoreh newspaper questioned what last week’s failures indicated about “a nation that prides itself on being an information technology powerhouse.”

In a similar vein, the conservative Dong-a Ilbo remarked that referring to South Korea as a digital leader has become “embarrassing.”

Lawmakers from both the ruling party and the opposition have traded blame regarding the responsibility for the crisis. President’s Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-Sik directed authorities on Monday to focus on resolving the issue rather than criticizing the previous administration.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Research Reveals That 14,350 Years Ago, the Most Powerful Known Solar Storm Triggered Radiocarbon Spikes

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Solar particle events from the sun are infrequent but powerful, significantly influencing the creation of cosmic genic isotopes. For instance, radiocarbon (14c) in the terrestrial environment leaves a distinct mark on natural archives, such as dating artifacts. Over the last 12,000 years, eight such events have been identified, the most notable occurring in 775 AD. Recently, a candidate for a new extreme solar particle event was discovered, marked by the largest known radiocarbon peak dating back to 12350 BC. A recent study indicates this event was 18% more intense than the 775 CE event and likely transpired between January and April of that year, with early March being the most probable time frame.

Illustration of the artist of Solar Storm. Image credit: NASA.

“Solar particle storms significantly enhance the natural production of cosmic isotopes, such as radiocarbon, in the atmosphere due to cosmic rays from galaxies,” stated Kseniia Golubenko, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu, along with her colleagues.

“Such enhancements, preserved in annual tree rings, act as clear timestamps in the universe, enabling absolute dating of tree samples.”

“These dramatic spikes, referred to as Miyake Events, are named after the Japanese researcher who first identified them. They provide crucial data for scientists examining solar activity, ancient Earth systems, and space climate.”

“Miyake events help us pinpoint the exact calendar year of floating archaeological timelines,” added Professor Ilya Usoskin from Oulu University.

“The radiocarbon signals from such events have enabled researchers to accurately date Viking settlements in Newfoundland and Neolithic communities in Greece.”

For the reconstruction of solar particle storms under ancient glacial climate conditions, the authors developed and utilized a new chemical climate model called SOCOL:14C-EX.

This model was successfully validated using tree ring data from the 775 CE event and applied to ice age conditions to analyze the event from 12350 BC.

“The ancient events of 12350 BC are the only known extreme solar particle occurrences aside from the stable warm climate of the last 12,000 years,” Dr. Golubenko stated.

“Our estimates reveal that, compared to the largest events of the modern satellite era, the Particle Storm of 2005 was over 500 times weaker.”

“Other documented solar particle storms took place in 994 BC, 663 BC, 5259 BC, and 7176 BC, with several more candidates currently under investigation.”

“The 12350 BCE occurrence also establishes new worst-case scenarios,” she added.

“Understanding its magnitude is vital for assessing the risks posed by future solar storms.”

The team’s paper was published in the journal Earth and Planet Science Letters.

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Kseniia Golubenko et al. 2025. The new SOCOL:14C-EX model reveals that radiocarbon spikes from the late glacial age of 12350 BC were caused by record extreme solar storms. Earth and Planet Science Letters 661:119383; doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119383

Source: www.sci.news

Rome’s Collapse Linked to Mini Ice Age Triggered by Ancient Geological Event

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Iceberg calving from a Greenland glacier can carry rocks to distant coasts

Professor Ross Mitchell

The rocks transported by icebergs from Greenland to Iceland add to evidence that the European climate became much colder for a century or two in 540 AD.

This cold season in the Northern Hemisphere has been shown previously by research on tree rings and sediment cores, but is linked to many historical events around the world, from the collapse of the northern WEI dynasty in China to the decline of the city of Teotihuacan, Central America. The Justinian plague that affected the Eastern Roman Empire after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 may also have been caused in part by cold weather.

Christopher Spencer Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada and his colleagues decided to explore Iceland’s west coast beaches, as they showed it was a light colour, rather than the basalt black of almost every other beach in Iceland.

Its bright colour turned out to be due to the presence of many shells, but while walking through the area, Spencer spotted a cobblestone-sized granite stone. It was immediately clear to him that these rocks were not from Iceland. “It’s a bit embarrassing how easy it is to make a discovery,” he says.

Sure enough, analysis of the rocks confirmed that they came from various parts of Greenland. Greenland is the closest point, about 300 km from Iceland. So, Spencer must have been carried by icebergs spotted and washed away on the beach from Greenland’s glacier.

The beach formations where Greenland rocks reside were previously dated from AD 500 to AD 700, says Spencer. Greenland icebergs can still reach this area, but Greenland Rock has not been found in other layers of the beach.

An ancient rock collection analyzed in the study was traced to Greenland

Dr. Christopher Spencer

Therefore, this finding indicates that numerous Greenlandic Icebergs were washed away at this beach during the period when this layer was formed. This suggests that because of the cold conditions, Greenland’s glaciers grew larger during this period, hiding more icebergs, says Spencer.

This is neatly linked to evidence of cold seasons, sometimes known as the late antique red ice age. The cause of this event is unknown. Some people think it was caused by volcanoes, while others think it was caused by a surprising piece of Earth from a comet. Spencer believes that the solar heat is simply dependent on changes in the orbit that reaches Earth.

The extent to which climate contributed to events such as the collapse of Rome remains debated, but there is growing evidence that climate change has shaped the fate of many civilizations.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

A nearby supernova explosion could have triggered multiple mass extinctions on Earth

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New research from Keele University and Universidad de Alicante shows that near Earth explosion Giant O and B type stars It occurs at a rate of 2.5 per billion years. This result supports the view that such an event may have caused one or more of the mass extinction events recorded on Earth.

Among the puppies in the constellation, I have the impression of the artist Zeta Puppis, an O-shaped star about 1,400 light years away. Image credit: Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa.

Astronomers at Kiel and Alicante University believe that the explosion of supernova near Earth could condemn both the late Devonian and Ordovician extinction events that occurred 372 and 445 million years ago, respectively.

Ordovician extinction killed 60% of marine invertebrates when life was largely confined to the ocean, and the late Devonian wiped out about 70% of all species, leading to a major change in the species of fish present in ancient seas and lakes.

Previous studies have not been able to identify a clear cause of either event, but are thought to be related to Earth's ozone layer depletion, which may have been caused by supernova.

A new study found that the velocity supernova that occurs near our planet coincides with the timing of both mass extinctions.

“Supernova explosions bring heavy chemical elements to interstellar media, which are used to form new stars and planets,” said Dr. Alexis Quintana, PhD from Kiel University, the lead author of the study.

“However, if planets, including Earth, are too close to events of this type, this can have devastating effects.”

“Supernova explosions are some of the most energetic explosions in the universe,” said Dr. Nick Wright, PhD from Keel University.

“If a large star explodes as a supernova close to Earth, the results will be devastating for life on Earth. This study suggests that this may already be happening.”

An artist impression of HR 6819, a close binary consisting of deleted B-shaped stars (background) and rapidly rotating BE stars (foreground). Image credit: ESO/L. Calsada.

Astronomers came to their conclusion after conducting a large-scale census of OB stars in the sun of Kiloparscheck (approximately 3,260 light years).

They studied the distribution of these stars to learn more about how clusters of stars and galaxies form using themselves as benchmarks, and the rate at which these stars form in our galaxies.

The census allowed researchers to calculate the rate at which supernovas occur within galaxies, which are important for supernova observations, and the rates that are important for the production of large-scale star rests, such as black holes and neutron stars throughout the universe.

Data will also help in the future development of gravitational wave detectors, a useful tool for scientists studying the structure and origin of the universe.

As part of this, the researchers calculated the supernova rate within the 20 parsecs (65 light years) of the Sun and compared this to the approximate velocity rate of mass extinction events on Earth that were previously attributed to nearby supernovas.

This exclusion events linked to other factors such as asteroid impacts and ice ages.

Comparing these datasets, experts found that their studies support the theory that supernova explosions are responsible for both the late Devonian and Ordovician extinction events.

“We calculated the supernova rate close to Earth, and we found that it coincides with the speed of mass extinction events on our planet, which are related to external forces such as supernova,” Dr. Wright said.

Astronomers believe it occurs in galaxies like the Milky Way at about one or two supernovas, or even lower speeds, but the good news is that there are only two nearby stars that can reach the supernova within the next million years or so.

“But both of these are over 500 light years from the US, and computer simulations have previously suggested that supernovaes at distance from Earth are likely to not affect our planet,” the author said.

Their study It will be published in Monthly Notices from the Royal Astronomical Society.

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Alexis L. Quintana et al. 2025. Census of AB stars within 1 kpc and collapse rate of star formation and core collapse Supernova rate. mnrasin press; arxiv: 2503.08286v1

Source: www.sci.news

Emergency Response Triggered by Unusual Fish Behavior in Florida

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Ripley’s Aquarium plans to introduce up to six small-toed sawfish to the facility. A spokesperson said the majority of the company’s animal care team will assist in the effort, including transporting the sawfish to the Marine Science Research Center to care for it.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium also said in a release that a quarantine facility for the rescued sawfish is ready and they are eager to help.

“Solving this mystery will require strong collaboration,” said Kathryn Flowers, Mort postdoctoral researcher and lead scientist on the effort.

The problem affects many species of fish off the coast of Florida, said Dean Grubbs, associate director of research at Florida State University’s Coastal Marine Research Institute.

“It goes all the way from very small prey species like pinfish to things like grouper and some stingrays,” he said.

Brehm said there are several theories about what’s going on, but with this type of event it’s difficult to come to an answer right away.

“I’ve heard to some extent that it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” he says. “But it’s very difficult to know which one it is because there are so many different possibilities.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on wednesday They found evidence to rule out several potential causes. The report said the fish did not appear to be suffering from any infectious or bacterial infections, and other factors such as oxygen, salinity and temperature were not suspected to be contributing factors.

The commission’s hotline for sawfish sightings has been in place for years, but the number of calls has increased in the last month.

Shea McKeon, director of marine programs at the American Bird Conservancy, said the group is also closely monitoring the fish situation, but has not yet seen a link to the bird deaths. . To help scientists figure out the root cause, the public can record instances of strange fish behavior they see on the water and upload videos and photos to community science sites like iNaturalist.org he said.

Grubbs said the problem appears to have gotten worse since February.

“We’ve spent the last 15 years studying sawfish, so it’s very sad to see these sawfish die,” he said. “And it’s hard. It’s hard for my students, my graduate students, to see that. It’s definitely painful. We want to get to the bottom of it and find a way to recover from this.” Masu.”

Marissa Parra

Marissa Parra is a national correspondent for NBC News based in Miami, Florida.


Maria Piñero

Maria Piñero is a producer at NBC News.

Jason Abbruzzese contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com