Volcanos Part 3: The Stradivarius Violin  

(AKA the influence of volcanic eruptions)

Volcanic eruptions have had many pop-culture influences over the years including influencing art, literature, and even music. We are going to look at three notable instances. These include Mary Shelley's Frankenstein published in 1818, Edvard Munch's painting The Scream from 1893, and Antonio Stradivari violins of the 1600's and 1700's.  

Antonio Stradivari Violins (1600's and 1700's)

Born in 1644, it is estimated that Antonio Stradivari began making notable quality violins by the age of 16. A naturally skilled luthier, someone who makes stringed instruments, Stradivari is credited with the creation of the modern violin form including adjustments to the bridge, deepening the color, and adjusting some of the proportions.  

Stradivarius violin. Image courtesy of NPR.

Although he began crafting violins as a young age, likely under a mentor, it wasn't until 1700 that Stradivari hit his stride, with the period from 1700 through 1725 considered as the Golden Period of Stradivarius creations. But what makes Stradivarius violins so special? Although they are extremely well crafted, being perfectly symmetrical and flawless, that is not the primary reason they are sought out by collectors. Most collectors agree that the sound from a Stradivarius violin is superior to other violins (although scientific studies have questioned this). It is claimed that a Stradivarius violin has a crisper, cleaner, and richer tone, especially when compared to his contemporaries. 

But why does it sound differently from other violins? There have been many theories from the type of varnish used, the chemicals used to treat the wood, the violin shape, and/or the structure of the violin, but science may have solved this one too (or at least it is still under debate). One of the leading theories though is related to volcanoes. 

Density comparison of modern violins to classical violins (Cremonese) such as Stradivari. Image courtesy of Stoel and Borman, 2008.

It turns out that the wood used by luthiers from Cremona, Italy, which included Stradivari, was naturally much denser than most wood used to make violins, especially modern day instruments. And this increased density is because they have a much closer, more even, growth ring density. As trees grow, there are two components to the wood they produce. It is common knowledge that a tree produces a ring for each year it is alive. What is considered the growth ring is actually slowed down growth during late summer, fall months when the tree is not able to grow as fast and smaller wood cells are produced. Therefore the wood in these rings is denser. During warmer months, trees are able to grow faster and therefore produce lighter, spongier wood in between each of the winter rings. The Norway Spruce and maples trees used by Stradivari were more dense because they had closer spaced tree rings than is normally common. 

Growth rings seen on a Stradivari violin. Image courtesy of the NY Times.

These trees grew up during a period of time known as the Little Ice Age. While the Little Ice Age lasted from the 1300's through the mid 1800's, there was a period of time known as the Maunder Minimum (1645 through 1715), which are the coldest parts of the Little Ice Age, with a European drop in average temperatures from 1 to 2 °C (1.8 to 3.6 °F). The Maunder Minimum is named after Edward Walter Maunder, who discovered the decreased number of sunspots during this period and later scientists correlated it with the colder stretch of time. While many scientists agree that reduced sunspot activity can reduce solar energy and therefore reduce global temperatures, there were also other agencies at work during the Little Ice Age to decrease global temperatures.

Sunspot activity over the last 400 years. Image courtesy of Britannica.

Between 1630-1850 there were 16 major volcanic eruptions of a VEI 5 or greater that scientists estimate had at least a 40% impact on global cooling. While 16 is a lot of major eruptions, there were at least 3 VEI 6 size eruptions from 1640 through 1700, the exact time frame when the trees that Stradivari used would have been growing. These eruptions included Komagatake Volcano in Japan that erupted in 1640, Long Island in New Guinea that erupted in 1660, and Usu Volcano in Japan that erupted in 1663.  

It is estimated that the total volume of eruptive tephra from the 1640 eruption of Komagatake Volcano is 3.5 cubic km with 1 to 2 meters of ash fall within the surrounding countryside. The 1660 eruption of Long Island is estimated to have a total volume of 11 cubic kilometers of volcanic tephra. And during the 1663 eruption of Usu Volcano, it is estimated that 2.5 cubic km of tephra was erupted. All of these eruptions combines introduced significant amounts of not only ash, but volcanic gases as well, which block solar radiation and help push global temperatures down during the duration of the Little Ice Age, especially the Maunder Minimum.  

And while reduced global temperatures may have a minimal to slightly noticeable impact on tropical and even temperate regions, the source for Stradivari's violins was the much higher elevations of the Italian Alps. It is thought that Stradivari sources his trees from the Val di Fiemme near Trentino, Italy, with elevations in this region ranging from 2,640 feet above sea level on the valley floor to almost 10,000 feet above sea level at the peaks of the mountains. So, not only were these trees already growing in a high altitude, volcanic activity likely pushed global temperatures colder, resulting in stunted tree growth and denser trees, which in essence produced the dulcet tones of a Stradivarius violin. 

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