Most recent flood basalt eruption

In 1783 Laki, a system of volcanic fissures in Iceland, began erupting in one of only two episodes of flood basalt eruptions in historic times on Earth. During its eight-month eruption some 15 cubic kilometres of lava were emitted along with 122 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide. It was the effects of this gas that at least partially caused the devastating cold winters of 1783–1784 and 1784–1785 and the cool 1784 summer.