The Campanian Ignimbrite eruption: new data on volcanic ash dispersal and its potential impact on human evolution.

ABSTRACT: The Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) volcanic eruption was the most explosive in Europe in the last 200,000 years. The event coincided with the onset of an extremely cold climatic phase known as Heinrich Event 4 (HE4) approximately 40,000 years ago. Their combined effect may have exacerbated the severity of the climate through positive feedbacks across Europe and possibly globally. The CI event is of particular interest not only to investigate the role of volcanism on climate forcing and palaeoenvironments, but also because its timing coincides with the arrival into Europe of anatomically modern humans, the demise of Neanderthals, and an associated major shift in lithic technology. At this stage, however, the degree of interaction between these factors is poorly known, based on fragmentary and wi

SUBMITTER: Fitzsimmons KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3684589 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature