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Volcanoes and Climate Change Essay

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Volcanoes and Climate Change Introduction: Since the beginning of time, volcanoes have been wreaking havoc on the world, as we know it. Yet in the more recent times, there has been a great amount of debate regarding the effect of volcanic eruptions on world climate change. In this report, the effects of these volcanoes will be explored, particularly in regards to cooling and the depletion of the ozone.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

General Information on Volcanoes

Effect of Volcanoes on Cooling

Effect of Volcanoes on Ozone Depletion

Specific Volcanic Eruptions and their Effects

Debate over Connection between Volcanoes and Global Climate Change …show more content…

In these eruptions, instead of the mixture of gas and ash flowing upwards, it flows outwards and hugs the ground. These eruptions are extremely dangerous.

This is only a general overview of the inner workings of volcanoes and their eruptions. For more infomation, visit Volcano World -- The Premier Source of Volcano Info on the Web.

Effect of Volcanoes on Cooling:

There are many variables within the climate change equation that must be taken into account to determine what is truly causing the climate change. Yet, recently, it has been observed that in years following a volcanic eruption the global temperature has been a couple of degrees cooler, and there has been increased precipitation. "The amount and global extent of cooling depend on the force of the eruption, the amount of particular gases emitted, and, perhaps, on the location of the volcano with respect to the world's global atmospheric circulation patterns." (NASA Homepage) The argument that volcanic eruptions cause the climate change is as follows: volcanic eruptions eject sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, and the resulting stratospheric aerosols change the short and long wave radiation budget of the atmosphere. This causes a chain reaction in which the stratosphere cools off. (Welcome to MTU Geology Department) The diagrams below illustrate the many variables involved in a volcanic eruption.

This figure illustrates the development of the atmopsheric

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