GEOGRAPHY IN THE NEWS:

Did a volcano in Sicily bring down a dynasty in Egypt? That's the thesis of new research, based on a comparison of volcanic ash in ice cores and Nile water level records. Major volcanic eruptions are found to disrupt African monsoon patterns, delivering less rain to the Nile and its tributaries. A powerful eruption by Etna in 44 BC likely contributed to the drought, famine, and resulting instability in Egypt over the next several years, making Egypt more vulnerable to Rome's involvement in its internal affairs and leading to the eventual overthrow of its last Ptolemaic ruler, Cleopatra. www.sciencenews.org/article/how-volcanoes-may-have-ended-dynasty-ptolemy-and-cleopatra