Campanian Ignimbrite eruption

The Calabrian (CI) eruption, occurring approximately 40,000 years ago, was a monumental volcanic event that ejected substantial amounts of ash and sulfur dioxide, leading to a volcanic winter in Europe. This natural disaster caused significant climatic effects, including cooler temperatures and acidic deposition, as evidenced by climate models.

Despite theories suggesting a link between the CI eruption and major historical events such as the Neanderthal extinction or the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition, recent datings indicate that these events occurred prior to the eruption. Neanderthals went extinct around 40,700 years ago, before the eruption's impact, and cultural shifts in Europe were already underway or synchronous with the event but not caused by it.

The eruption's potential connection to Heinrich Event 4 (HE-4) has also been explored, though high-resolution data shows HE-4 began before the eruption. While there is evidence of climatic cooling post-eruption, linking it directly to HE-4 remains inconclusive.

Dating discrepancies using Ar/Ar and 14C methods highlight uncertainties in geological dating techniques. Efforts to find sulfate evidence from the eruption in ice cores have been challenging, underscoring difficulties in correlating volcanic activity with climatic records.

In summary, while the CI eruption was a significant climatic event with regional impacts, its role in major historical transitions is either coincidental or occurred earlier than previously thought.