The American writer, historian and philosopher William Durant once noted, "Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice." In this course, we will learn what scientists and historians currently know about the climatic impacts of massive volcanic eruptions since the last Ice Age, and how those climatic impacts have may have dramatically altered the course of human civilization. This course is intended for individuals who are fascinated by the intersection of history, climate and geology.

Through lecture and Q & A, we will explore the scientific basis of abrupt climate alteration associated with massive volcanic eruptions, as well as how eruption type, magnitude, geographic location, season and zonal winds amplify or diminish these effects. We will also learn about major climate forcing functions and how scientists are able to determine past climatic conditions. Selected case studies of significant massive volcanic eruptions and their resulting climatic effects on human history will be discussed. For example, a massive volcanic eruption may have initiated the introduction of the Justinian Plague into Europe in 536 CE, while others in the 13th and again in the 15th centuries may have ushered in and sustained the major climate event known as the Little Ice Age.