"More poison than words can describe": What did people die of after the 1783 Laki eruption?

• Main Authors: Wieners, Claudia, Hálfdanarson, Guðmundur
• Other Authors: Sub Physical Oceanography, Marine and Atmospheric Research
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: EGU 2023
• Subjects: Laki; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/433146

The 1783 Laki eruption in Iceland was followed by an almost 20 % population loss, traditionally attributed to famine (caused by fluorine poisoning of livestock) and contagious diseases. From the 1970s, hypotheses were formed that fluorine poisoning might have contributed to human mortality in Icelan...