Volcanoes/Meteorites Blacking Out Sky

[Jess A]

Volcanic eruption can cause devastation for years,and far from the source. The sun might not be 'blocked out' for more than a few days but the resulting climate change could cause severe problems. After Santorini erupted c1600 BC all the bronze age cultures of the Med gradually collapsed and the effects were felt as far away as northern Europe, as evidenced by tree rings, which show a disruption in growth at this time. In around 1100 BC Hekla erupted in Iceland, and this was thought to have significant effects on the British Isles--the climate became wetter and cloudier and farmland turned to moorland and had to be abandoned. Between these two dates you see the wane in the bronze age culture of the area, and by 1000 BC monuments such as Stonehenge were out of use, possibly because there was less chance of viewing the solstices. At the same time swords become longer, more weaponry appears and people settle on defended hilltops.

That's quite interesting. Will have to read up on some of those cultural points.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

I can't see a meteor in space blocking out the sun. Even if it was on a collision course with Earth and was as large as suggested previously, you have to remember that the Earth is revolving around the sun. This thing would have to revolve about the sun too at a matching rate, while always remaining on a straight line from the sun to Earth. That seems to defy most laws of celestial motion since it would need to be constantly changing direction to stay on that straight line, since the line is moving.

Volcanic eruptions, expecially super volcanoes, could have a significant effect as others have said, but there is another simpler explanation that could darken the sky for months or years, fire. Imagine if the Amazon caught fire after say a very dry summer. Somewhat wet wood and vegetation in that amount could burn for months, and if the weather patterns were right, all that smoke given off could collect in a specific location. Say a natural caldera, or a region like the doldrums where there is little wind to disperse it.

Cheers greg.

 

[ALB2012]

It would depend on size of volcano- upset weather patterns, in theory storms, even temperature drops and increase in CO2 and other such gases. there have been several cataclysmic volcanic eruptions and if it was large enough or long enough it could cause serious problems. If the volcano is on a plate line, could be linked to tsunamis and earthquakes.

If it is a supervolcano like Krakatoa of Yellowstone then in theory it could blow a hole landmass of the map. Island of Kracatoa goes boom every so often and disappears. If yellowstone went up that would be REALLY bad.

There are some theories that some of the mass extinctions were down to many volcanos at the same time. Don't ask me to quote dates as I can't find the books and my memory from the study I did is shot

Meteors well if one hit the land this could be bad. If it is large enough to obscure the sun directly, darkness is the least of your worries