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

March 14, 2024 | 3:00PM - 5:00PM
 | 
In-person
Europe & Eurasia

This event is over

This event took place in-person at Room 108N, North House, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, M5S 3K7
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).
 
Co-Sponsor: Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies
Europe & Eurasia
Tanyaa Mehta ceres.events@utoronto.ca

Speakers

Andrew Bruno

Associate Professor in History and Environmental Studies, Northern Illinois University

Alison Smith

Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Toronto