The Volcano That Shrouded the Earth and Gave Birth to a Monster

Three years of darkness and cold spawned crime, poverty, and a literary masterpiece

Nautilus
Nautilus
Mar 1, 2019 · 21 min read
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Illustrations: Wesley Allsbrook

By Gillen D’Arcy Wood

Two hundred years ago, the greatest eruption in Earth’s recorded history took place. Mount Tambora — located on Sumbawa Island in the East Indies — blew itself up with…

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