Large volcanic eruptions can have a substantial impact on climate across the globe. These climatic disturbances can, in turn, have severe human consequences, often very remote from the original eruption. To understand how such eruptions have impacted history, and may impact society in the future, we need to understand how eruptions, climate and society interact. Recent research has done much to clarify the climatic effect of volcanic activity, particularly relating to summer temperature - although winter temperatures and the impact of multiple eruptions are still subjects of ongoing research. However, the interactions between volcanic-induced climate changes and society are less well understood. Many studies have identified the coincidence of eruption events and human calamities, but an understanding of the extent of causality, from volcanic eruption to social impact, has been less common. This has left many questions, including how different eruptions have impacted different societies, and why some societies have been more or less affected by certain eruptions. 

To address these, this workshop will bring together experts from many different disciplines, and studying many different geographic regions. The aim is to generate a better understanding of volcano-climate-society interactions and help develop a more robust methodology for attributing social impacts to volcanic climate changes. Presentations, hands-on workshops and roundtable discussions will consider the geophysical evidence for past volcanic eruptions (which informs historical and climatological studies), historical case studies, and key questions relating to volcano-climate-society interactions. Outcomes will hopefully include a more general understanding of the historic impacts of volcanic eruptions and an improved knowledge of the different factors that mediate the impact climate change on human societies.

This workshop is organised by Volcanic Impacts on Climate, Environment and society (VICES) group (Bern), in cooperation with The Nordic Little Ice Age: Lessons from Past Climate Change (NORLIA) project.