A recent study has revealed that volcanic eruptions can help mitigate the effects of global warming.
According to scientists, the rate of global warming from 2000 to 2010 was not as rapid as previously thought, thanks to chemical compounds released during volcanic eruptions worldwide.
When sulfur dioxide gas, produced during volcanic eruptions, rises to the stratosphere, it participates in a chemical reaction, forming molecules that have the ability to reflect sunlight back into space instead of allowing it to directly hit the Earth. This is why global warming has been somewhat constrained.
Scientists observed an increase in these molecules, referred to as “sunlight scatterers”, from 2000 to 2010. Some studies suggest that emissions from developing countries in Asia, such as India and China, contributed to a 60% increase in sulfur dioxide levels over a decade, primarily due to coal burning. However, other studies indicate that volcanic activity is a significant factor behind this increase in sulfur dioxide.
By using computer models to compare the changes in the stratosphere influenced by coal burning in Asia and global volcanic eruptions from 2000 to 2010, researchers concluded that volcanic eruptions are the primary cause of the increase in atmospheric molecules.
Volcanic eruptions help reduce the rate of global warming.
“This study shows that emissions from small to moderate volcanic eruptions have helped slow down the process of global warming,” said Ryan Neely, the lead researcher for this study as part of his PhD dissertation at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
“This finding indicates that scientists need to pay more attention to various types of volcanic eruptions when researching climate change. However, long-active volcanoes are not capable of balancing global warming because their emissions fluctuate, while greenhouse gases from human activities continue to rise,” stated Brian Toon, a professor at the University of Colorado.
According to Professor Toon, the activity of major volcanoes significantly impacts the ability to “cool” global temperatures, such as Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which erupted in 1991, releasing enough sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to lower the Earth’s temperature by 0.55 degrees Celsius and “cool” the planet for two years.
