The Mystery of the Siberian Explosion: An Environmental History of the Tunguska Event

In 1908 the Tunguska explosion in Siberia knocked down an area of forest larger than London. Most scientists believe that an asteroid or a comet caused the blast, but neither a crater nor unmistakable remnants of a meteorite have ever been found. Over the last century, the mysterious nature of the event has prompted a wide array of speculation and investigation. This presentation recounted the intriguing story of the Tunguska event and the investigations into it, foregrounding the significance of mystery in environmental history.

 

Andy Bruno works as a Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Northern Illinois University. A specialist in the environmental history of the Soviet Union, he is the author of two books, The Nature of Soviet Power: An Arctic Environmental History (2016) and Tunguska: A Siberian Mystery and its Environmental Legacy (2022).