An international research team has found that aerosols from relatively small volcanic eruptions can affect global temperatures.
Odin Satellite - Image credit: Swedish Space Corp
Until now it was thought that a massively energetic eruption was needed to inject aerosols all the way through the troposphere and into the stratosphere, says Adam Bourassa, from the U of S Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies.
But when the team looked at the June 2011 eruption of the Nabro volcano in Eritrea in northeast Africa, they found that wind had carried the volcanic gas and aerosol – minute droplets of sulfuric acid – into the path of the annual Asian summer monsoon.
The monsoon lofted volcanic gas and lighter liquid droplets into the stratosphere where they were detected by the Swedish research satellite Odin.
“Once (an aerosol) reaches the stratosphere, it can persist for years, and with that kind of a sustained lifetime, it can really have a lasting effect,” says Bourassa, who led the research. “That effect is the scattering of incoming sunlight and the potential to cool the Earth’s surface.”
For example, the massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 temporarily dropped temperatures by half a degree Celsius world-wide.
The research appears in the July 6 issue of the journal Science.
Thanks to David Loring for this link
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How wonderful. A bullet for the guns of the AGW crowd. The only reason we haven’t seen their called for increases is all these little volcanic eruptions we’ve been seeing the past few years. Now, when we hit a quiet spell, the temperature is going to get back on track, because nothing but NOTHING is more powerful than carbon dioxide from carbon fuels!!! At least that’s what they claim, right?
On volcanic emmissions of aaerosols, in 630 AD there was a major volcanic eruption. A two year period of darkness followed. This was also the beninning of the medeval dark ages.
there has been some six major volcanic eruptions in the last 2000 years. Have other of these eruptions started other cold periods? GR
Climate is chaos. Of course smaller volcanoes can effect climate. But tell me, how much?
That has always been the question for each driver, and they are legion.
and Nabro was not big at all..so all the other events that were one timers with a fair force, gaining high altitudes..it all adds up:-)
today in Aus we have the pied piper from our BoM saying its hotter than ever and while..gasp shock ..it isnt All, proveable to be carbons fault.
basically it IS carbons fault anyway:-)
never heard such convoluted warping said with a straight face..oh no -I have! Gore Pachauri Hansen..
wonder if theres Vaccine for this disease?
guess Stupid is hard to cure:-)
Can’t fix stupid.
I too am fascinated by the very large number of continuously erupting volcanoes.
What we are seeing is unprecedented, at least during modern history.
Look back at the records, we have had 23-30 (varies) volcanoes erupting continuously since late 2010 – present.
This is not adding to the equation the undersea activity, the cumulative effect of this on the atmosphere must be staggering. Since no one alive has seen this before it will be a learning experience for all.
Add this to a Pole that is rapidly losing it’s balance and a Sun that is easily excited, Wow I don’t think we can own a coat thick enough.