The “Ring of Fire”–the volcanoes that circle the Pacific Ocean–is suddenly more active than it has been in some months. Some scientists think that activity in one area–like the Tonga underwater volcano–leads to activity in other areas as the Earth’s tectonic plates adjust and move. Alaska’s Mt. Redoubt erupted at least five times last night, bringing in spring with a bang! (The spring equinox was on March 20th.)

This link Alaska Volcano Observatory map shows current activity along the Kenai peninsula of Alaska, where Mt Redoubt is located. This link Redoubt Volcano links tells you more about Mt. Redoubt.

Volcanic ash in the upper atmosphere cools the atmosphere because it reflects sunlight back into space. In 1816, the Indonesian volcano, Mt. Tambora, exploded so vigorously that ash in the atmosphere caused cold temperatures around the world. The summer of 1816 is sometimes nicknamed “1800 and froze to death.” This Wikipedia article Year Without a Summer explains what it was like.

In 1883, the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded. Ash flung into the atmosphere created red and orange sunsets for several years. Edward Munch’s famous painting The Scream is thought to show one of those sunsets.

The Scream by Edward Munch

The Scream by Edward Munch