Laki was the Icelandic volcanic fissure system responsible for the eruption that began in 1783 and caused widespread famine.
The Laki eruption, also called the Skaftáreldar, began on 8 June 1783 and continued into 1784. It opened a fissure with roughly 130 craters and released enormous quantities of lava and volcanic gases.
Fluorine and sulfur dioxide harmed Iceland’s livestock, producing the famine known as the Mist Hardships. Atmospheric pollution also affected weather and health across Europe, while crop failures contributed to severe hardship in Iceland.
Laki is not a single classic cone like Hekla. It is a fissure system associated with the Grímsvötn volcanic system, which explains why the event is sometimes described using both names.