Climatic and societal impacts of volcanic eruptions in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE): a comparative study

This research examines the climatic and societal impacts of volcanic eruptions in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE). Statistically, the frequency of relevant climate disasters (e.g., drought, cold) and metrics of societal impacts (e.g., vagrancy) increased following volcanic eruptions. A comparative study of 180–150 BCE and 60–30 BCE reveals that the shortcomings in perceptions of human-nature relationships and the over-reliance on agriculture reduced society’s resilience to calamities.

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Yang, Zhen, and Francis Ludlow. “limatic and societal impacts of volcanic eruptions in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE): a comparative study.” Climate of the Past 21, no. 11 (2025): 2061–2081. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-2061-2025.

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