Authors: Jelle Zeilinga De Boer and Donald Theodore Sanders

When the volcano Tambora erupted in Indonesia in 1815, as many as one hundred thousand people perished from the blast and ensuing famine. 

Gases and dust particles ejected into the atmosphere changed weather patterns around the world, resulting in the infamous “year without a summer” in North America, food riots in Europe, and a widespread cholera epidemic.

And the gloomy weather inspired Mary Shelley to write the gothic novel “Frankenstein.” This panoramic book tells the story of nine such epic volcanic events.