Possible impact of the 43 BCE Okmok volcanic eruption in Alaska on the climate of China as revealed in historical documents

Abstract

The Okmok volcanic eruption in Alaska has recently been discovered and is precisely dated to have occurred in 43 BCE. Some Chinese climate records of 43–33 BCE have been found in historical documents that provide descriptions of observed environmental abnormities that appear to be consistent with the anticipated changes due to volcanic climate forcing. In this paper, we provide a full translation with discussions of the Chinese climate records that may be related to the Okmok eruption. We have converted ancient Chinese calendar dates to modern Gregorian dates and provided the latitudes and longitudes of the geographical locations mentioned in the records. Relevant climate information in similar areas of China in the decades after the 1783 Laki eruption is also briefly summarized for comparison. We believe the detailed information contained in these records will be useful for further research on the climate impact of volcanic eruptions.