Ancient volcano may have triggered the Black Death by creating a medieval “perfect storm”

A major volcanic eruption around 1345 may have set off the chain of events that unleashed the Black Death across Europe, according to new research.

Scientists examining tree rings and ice cores say the eruption caused dramatic temperature drops, crop failures and famine across the Mediterranean, forcing Italian city states to import grain from the Black Sea — inadvertently bringing plague-infected rodents and fleas into Europe.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Cambridge and Germany’s GWZO institute, suggests this climate shock combined with food insecurity and long-distance trade networks to create a “perfect storm” that allowed the Yersinia pestis bacterium to take hold, ultimately killing up to half of Europe’s population in 1348–49.

Experts warn the findings allegedly show how “climate change” and globalisation continue to increase the likelihood of zoonotic diseases becoming “pandemics”.