Did Volcanoes Accelerate the Fall of the Chinese Dynasty?

KOMPAS.com – Empire China has a long history, spanning at least 4000 years, making it one of the oldest dynasties in the world.

However, imperial china it finally collapsed. Researchers say that the conflict contributed to the dissolution of the empire. But now, researchers have another version of why the Chinese empire collapsed.

They found that the eruption volcano contributed to the downfall of the dynasty. This eruption is said to cool the climate and affect agricultural production.

Cooler soil temperatures caused by sulfuric acid clouds block sunlight and weaken monsoon rains and ultimately reduce crop yields.

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These results were obtained after researchers analyzed ice cores, to compare evidence of explosive volcanic activity with events in Chinese history.

Quoted from Eoc, Saturday (28/5/2022) study co-author Chaochao Gao, professor in the Department of Environmental Science at China’s Zhejiang University realized that a dynastic change had occurred around the time of a major volcanic eruption.

To reveal the relationship, researchers then examined ice cores in Greenland and Antarctica.

They later found there were 158 eruptions from 1 AD to 1915, a few years after the fall of the Qing dynasty which was the last dynasty in China. They also found certain patterns of eruptions.

“In some of our previous studies, we found that severe droughts or floods, frost damage, locust outbreaks, occurred in the years following the eruption,” said Gao.

We also found a significant effect of volcanic eruptions on the ENSO . variation [El Niño–Southern Oscillation]which provides feedback to modulate the monsoon climate, which is important for Chinese agriculture.

This led the researchers to conclude that dynastic collapses were more likely in the years following the volcanic eruption. But the effect is more visible, especially when there have been conflicts before.

“These results for the first time confirm the role of repetitive and systemic volcanic shocks as the causative agent of dynastic collapse in one of the world’s most densely populated and enduring civilizations,” the researchers wrote.

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