PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast

The Worst Year to Be Alive - 536 AD

September 15, 2022 Chris and Jesse Season 2 Episode 25
The Worst Year to Be Alive - 536 AD
PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast
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PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast
The Worst Year to Be Alive - 536 AD
Sep 15, 2022 Season 2 Episode 25
Chris and Jesse

Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO!
Available here:
geo.campcourses.com

536 AD was not a good year to be to be a human - especially in Eastern Europe.  Below are some written descriptions of what it was like:

  • Michael the Syrian, wrote: "[T]he sun became dark and its darkness lasted for one and a half years [...] Each day it shone for about four hours and still this light was only a feeble shadow [...] the fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes."
  • A prefect of Italy at the time, wrote: "so we have had a winter without storms, spring without mildness, summer without heat."
  • A roman politician wrote: “the sun had a buish color, the moon lost its luster and the seasons seem to be jumbled up together.

Global temperatures fell by 2.5 degrees C (5 degrees F) on average.  The culprit was an Icelandic volcano that began eruption in early 536 AD.  This was punctuated by another eruption in 540, the bubonic plague in 541, and another eruption in 547 to round out one of the worst decades to be alive on Earth.  All of these events caused a combined effect that took the planet over a hundred years to recover.  

In this episode, we discuss a little about the geology of Icelandic volcanoes and why they are so diverse.  However, the main focus is on the process of scientific discovery.  We dive into ice core analysis and tree ring data that helped researchers piece together the puzzle.

Join Jesse and Chris as we discuss what might have been the worst year, decade, or century to be a human in modern times. 

——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Download the CampGeo app now at this link.

On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series.
You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!

Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating!

——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Support us: https://planetgeocast.com/support-us
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Show Notes

Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO!
Available here:
geo.campcourses.com

536 AD was not a good year to be to be a human - especially in Eastern Europe.  Below are some written descriptions of what it was like:

  • Michael the Syrian, wrote: "[T]he sun became dark and its darkness lasted for one and a half years [...] Each day it shone for about four hours and still this light was only a feeble shadow [...] the fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes."
  • A prefect of Italy at the time, wrote: "so we have had a winter without storms, spring without mildness, summer without heat."
  • A roman politician wrote: “the sun had a buish color, the moon lost its luster and the seasons seem to be jumbled up together.

Global temperatures fell by 2.5 degrees C (5 degrees F) on average.  The culprit was an Icelandic volcano that began eruption in early 536 AD.  This was punctuated by another eruption in 540, the bubonic plague in 541, and another eruption in 547 to round out one of the worst decades to be alive on Earth.  All of these events caused a combined effect that took the planet over a hundred years to recover.  

In this episode, we discuss a little about the geology of Icelandic volcanoes and why they are so diverse.  However, the main focus is on the process of scientific discovery.  We dive into ice core analysis and tree ring data that helped researchers piece together the puzzle.

Join Jesse and Chris as we discuss what might have been the worst year, decade, or century to be a human in modern times. 

——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Download the CampGeo app now at this link.

On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series.
You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!

Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating!

——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Support us: https://planetgeocast.com/support-us
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/