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Question

Difficulty: MediumCause-and-Effect Relationships

Passage

In April 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia experienced a cataclysmic eruption, ejecting massive quantities of volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. This aerosol cloud blanketed the globe, reflecting solar radiation and triggering a global cooling phenomenon known as the 'Year Without a Summer' in 1816. In Western Europe and northeastern North America, temperatures plummeted, resulting in widespread frost during the summer months. This severe weather devastated agricultural output, causing widespread crop failures, particularly in staple grains like wheat and corn. The resulting food scarcity led to skyrocketing prices and famine, which in turn forced desperate families to migrate westward from New England in search of more stable climates and arable land. Meanwhile, the dark, rainy summer in Switzerland confined a group of writers, including Mary Shelley, indoors, inspiring her to write the gothic masterpiece *Frankenstein*. Thus, a single geological event in the South Pacific set off a cascading chain of ecological, economic, and cultural consequences across the globe.

Based on the passage, arrange the following events to reflect the correct sequence of cause-and-effect relationships, starting with the initial cause and ending with the final effect.

  1. 1Mount Tambora erupts, ejecting volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere.
  2. 2Aerosols in the stratosphere reflect solar radiation, triggering global cooling.
  3. 3Unseasonable summer frosts devastate agricultural yields in New England.
  4. 4Food shortages and price spikes compel families to migrate westward.

Answer

Mount Tambora erupts, ejecting volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere → Aerosols in the stratosphere reflect solar radiation, triggering global cooling → Unseasonable summer frosts devastate agricultural yields in New England → Food shortages and price spikes compel families to migrate westward.
The correct order follows the chronological and logical chain of cause-and-effect described in the text: the eruption of Mount Tambora injected aerosols into the stratosphere; these aerosols reflected sunlight and cooled the Earth; the cooling caused summer frosts that ruined crops; and the resulting crop failures and food scarcity forced families to migrate westward.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary cause described in the passage.
The initial cause is the eruption of Mount Tambora, which released ash and sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere.
All subsequent atmospheric and socio-economic changes mentioned in the passage stem from this initial geological event.
2
Determine the immediate physical effect of the volcanic emissions.
The volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere reflect solar radiation, which triggers global cooling.
The passage states that the aerosol cloud reflected solar radiation and triggered the 'Year Without a Summer' cooling phenomenon.
3
Trace how the global temperature decline affected human systems.
Unseasonable summer frosts devastated agricultural output and caused widespread crop failures in northeastern North America.
The drop in temperatures led to severe weather during the summer months, which directly ruined staple crops.
4
Determine the final socio-economic consequence of the crop failures.
Food scarcity and skyrocketing prices forced families to migrate westward.
The failure of the crops led directly to food shortages, prompting New England families to relocate in search of better agricultural conditions.

Key Concept

Identifying a multi-step cause-and-effect relationship from historical and scientific text.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Cause-and-Effect Relationships

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