Iceland is about 2,500 miles away from North Dakota. That seems very far away indeed. It is difficult to imagine that an event in far-off Iceland could have a direct effect on North Dakota, but in 1783, that is exactly what happened.
Iceland is home to 130 volcanoes. It has experienced thirteen eruptions since it was first settled in 874 CE. None was as devastating to the island, or to the world, as the eruption of the Laki volcano, which began on this date in 1783 and lasted for eight months. The eruption had far-reaching consequences around the world, including in the area that would become North Dakota one hundred years later.
Laki is located in Iceland, but the devastation caused by the eruption did not remain there. Its effects spread around the globe. The event clearly demonstrates how a single volcano can change weather patterns, cause famine, and spur social upheaval. Instead of erupting from a single point, Laki opened along a line of vents and continued volcanic activity for the next eight months. Lava flowed across 216 square miles, destroying farms by poisoning fields and killing livestock. Gigantic clouds of gas reached the upper atmosphere and spread around the world. The gases emitted by Laki dimmed the sun across the Northern Hemisphere. Temperatures dropped. Acid rain fell. Damage to crops and livestock caused famine. Thousands of people died as a result of the eruption.
North Dakota was not immune. The winter of 1784 was unusually harsh. Crops failed. Rivers froze farther south than usual. The Mississippi River froze all the way to New Orleans. George Washington wrote about the severe winter weather in his diary. Benjamin Franklin speculated that the unusually cold winter was caused by Iceland’s volcanoes.
There is not a great deal of documentation about the weather on the Great Plains because few people were recording conditions at the time. It would be several years before Lewis and Clark embarked on their expedition. But geological evidence demonstrates that the area suffered the effects of a volcanic eruption that occurred thousands of miles away.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- All Things Iceland. “Laki Volcano Eruption – Devastating Effects in Iceland & Around the World.” https://allthingsiceland.com/laki-volcano-eruption-devastating-effects-in-iceland-around-the-world-ep17/Accessed 5/15/2026.
- Perlan. “Iceland’s Laki Volcano Was the Eruption That Shook the World.” https://perlan.is/articles/laki-volcano-eruptionAccessed 5/15/2026.
