A global research team says the terrible Black Death pandemic was likely caused by a sudden climate change. In 1345–1346, huge amounts of sulfur from volcanic eruptions darkened the Earth. This led to cooler temperatures and a big drop in crop production in the Mediterranean.
With crops failing in Italy and grain prices skyrocketing, city-states had to import wheat from the Black Sea. But these trade ships didn’t just bring food; they also carried fleas that spread the plague bacteria, helping the disease spread in 1347.
Studies of trees and ice cores show this climate change happened right when the pandemic began. The disease spread faster in cities that relied on grain imports. For scientists, the Black Death was not just a health crisis but also a clear example of how climate instability can disrupt entire civilizations.
