Volcanic Eruptions Sparked A "Butterfly Effect" That Led To The Black Death Tearing Through Europe In The 14th Century

Volcanoes may have played a pivotal role in the Black Death, the bubonic plague pandemic that ravaged 14th-century Europe. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The Black Death tore through Europe, as well as parts of Asia and North Africa, between 1347 and 1353 CE. Caused by the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis , the catastrophic pandemic killed up to 60 percent of the population in some regions, sparking a profound social and economic transformation.

It’s believed it originated in fleas living on the backs of wild rodents in central Asia and reached Europe via the Black Sea region, but the reasons behind the timing of its onset are not fully understood. Plague has infected humans for at least 5,000 years , so why di