What 1816 climate event became known as the Year Without a Summer?

The 1816 climate event became known as the Year Without a Summer.

The main cause was the enormous eruption of Mount Tambora in present-day Indonesia in April 1815. The eruption injected sulfur-rich gases into the stratosphere, where they formed reflective sulfate aerosols. These particles reduced the amount of sunlight reaching Earth’s surface and helped cool the climate for months afterward.

In 1816, parts of North America and Europe experienced frosts, snow in unusual seasons, crop failures, and food shortages. The effects were not identical everywhere, and regional weather was also shaped by natural variability and existing climate patterns.

The event is sometimes incorrectly attributed to one exceptionally cold winter. Its name refers to widespread abnormal summer conditions, especially in 1816. The eruption also contributed to striking sunsets recorded by artists, including effects often associated with the paintings of J. M. W. Turner.