Volcanic Eruption

How does it affect Climate?

 The volcanic ash cloud created by a volcanic blast can change interactions between the
atmosphere and sun, affecting climate patterns.
 When a volcano erupts, the main things that come out of it are sulfur dioxide, water vapor, dust,
and ash that go into the atmosphere.
 The eruption of a volcano can cause a cooling or warming effect on the Earth’s surface.

Cooling Effect

 Sulfur dioxide combines with water to form tiny droplets of sulfuric acid.
 These droplets condense quickly in the atmosphere to form sulfate aerosols.
 These aerosols reflect sunlight away from Earth’s surface back into space, cooling the Earth’s
lower atmosphere and troposphere.
 This is a positive feedback loop because the result causes the process to occur more.
 Volcanic eruptions that are powerful enough to emit thousands of gases into the atmosphere
can reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface which can make the
climate colder.

Warming Effect

 The eruption of a volcano also throws out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
 Since carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas, it traps heat radiated off of the surface of the
Earth forming a type of insulation around the planet.
 In fact, according to the British and US Geological Survey, underwater and land-based volcanoes
are estimated to release around 100-300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
 While carbon dioxide and water are gases in the atmosphere, they absorb infrared heat
radiation which causes the air below it to get warmer.
 The movement of plates also causes volcanoes to form and they can contribute to the climate
getting warmer since they throw gas and dust particles into the atmosphere which interact with
sunlight.