00:00Did you know a single volcanic eruption almost wiped out the world 200 years ago?
00:05Scientists have finally cracked the mystery
00:07behind Earth's most recent mystery eruption from 1831.
00:11In the spring of 1831,
00:13a massive volcanic explosion caused global temperatures to plummet by 1°C.
00:19This led to devastating famines and crop failures across the planet.
00:23But the question remained.
00:25Which volcano was responsible?
00:28After years of research,
00:29a team from the University of St. Andrews,
00:32led by Dr. Will Hutcheson,
00:34matched microscopic ash shards found in ice cores to a remote volcano,
00:38Zavoritsky on Simishir Island in the Kuril Chain,
00:42a region disputed between Russia and Japan.
00:45These ash shards are tinier than a human hair,
00:48but their chemical fingerprint told the story.
00:50It was a eureka moment in the lab
00:52when the volcanic ash matched perfectly with the ice core data.
00:56Today, Simishir Island is controlled by Russia
01:00and used as a military outpost.
01:02But this discovery reminds us of nature's power
01:05and the importance of preparing for future eruptions.
01:08Scientists warn that many hidden volcanoes still pose a threat.
01:12Will we be ready when the next big one hits?
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