Regional warming of the lower atmosphere in the wake of volcanic eruptions: the role of the Laki fissure eruption in the hot summer of 1783

This paper is part of the special publication No.161, Volcanoes in the Quaternary (eds: C.R. Firth and W.J. McGuire). A suggestion is made that the gases emitted in the Laki fissure eruption in the summer of 1783 contributed to the high surface-air temperatures recorded in many parts of Europe. This paper presents European documentary and instrumental evidence which suggests that, during the initial stages of the eruption of the Laki fissure in June and July 1783, intense localized warming of the lower atmosphere occurred in many parts of Europe. This phenomenon is examined in detail and a hypothesis advanced that, under specifically defined conditions, volcanic gases may lead to warming of the lower atmosphere.