Volcanic Eruptions Found Cause of Societal Collapse in Ancient Dynasties During Imperial China's 2,000-Year Reign, Study Says

The prestigious Zheijang University recently conducted a study regarding a unique composition in the ice cores of the largest and coldest regions of the planet. The research was able to detail the information through a simulation that the authors developed. The reconstruction of the model included 156 volcanic eruptions that happened between 1 and 1915 AD.

The experts also compared the results from the experiment with the imperial history of East Asia's superpower China and how the natural impacts of the volcanic eruptions shifted the course of the ancient dynasties in the country. Among the catastrophic spews between the specified timeline was the Eldgjá eruption in 939, which was identified to cause intense cooling of the planet and led to political unrest, agriculture disruption, and eventually, societal collapse.

Imperial China's Ancient Civilization and the Impact of Volcanic Eruptions on Dynasties

Imperial China is known as among the largest civilizations during ancient times. Alongside other countries, the country holds immense power to develop and maintain the balance of the society in the eastern regions of Asia. Since the dawn of China's dynastic society, innovations and economic improvements have spread not just to its neighboring countries but also to other continents.

While the foundations of the great empire acquired such power, a new study confirms an aspect that brought vulnerability to China. It was found that during the last 2,000 years of Imperial China's reign, volcanic eruptions played a part in the societal wreckage in many of the dynasties that were present during the time.

The study of the correlation between the volcanic eruptions and the fall of Chinese dynasties was led by experts from the Zheijang University. Throughout the research, the scientists examined the atmospheric sulfate levels of the ancient civilizations. To get ahold of the information, the team extracted specimens known to preserve ancient chemical composition through time. The best subject that suits the requirement is the ice core fragments from the coldest regions of the Earth. In the study, the authors extracted the selected samples from the Antarctic and Greenland.

Atmospheric Sulfate in Ice Cores Clue to the Eldgjá Eruption and Other Catastrophic Explosions

The ice cores provided comprehensive data regarding the historical explosions of Earth that happened between 1 and 1915 AD. The model was made possible through the atmospheric sulfate data, leading the experts to reconstruct 156 of the largest volcanic eruptions on the planet. Alongside the geological records, the authors compiled the details from Imperial China's 68 dynasties active between 850-1911. The list of dynasties has a well-built warfare structure usually utilized as an alternative for socioeconomic and political matters.

The findings concluded that major volcanic eruptions have the potential to impact societies of the ancient civilizations. Among the largest eruptions specified in the investigation was the Eldgjá eruption that occurred in 1939, and was found to have triggered the fall of Min and Later Jin dynasties.

The Eldgjá volcano is located in Iceland and is confirmed as the largest volcanic canyon on the planet. During its catastrophic explosion, the Eldgjá volcano fired magma that measured 4.3 cubic miles in volume. The same volcano was also responsible for the low-temperature summers during 1500, damaging food production and agriculture. The study titled "Volcanic climate impacts can act as ultimate and proximate causes of Chinese dynastic collapse" was published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

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