Feature

Disaster Goes Global

The eruption in 1600 of a seemingly quiet volcano in Peru changed global climate and triggered famine as far away as Russia

By Sid Perkins

- More than 2 years ago

Small disturbances can eventually have immense consequences. In the namesake example of the butterfly effect, the vortex spun from a butterfly’s wing creates tiny changes in the atmosphere that result in a hurricane half a world away.