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Can an extreme volcanic eruption – stronger than any in modern times – lead to catastrophic cooling of Earth’s climate? Not really, a new study found.
Researchers have long speculated how a “volcanic winter” could potentially threaten humanity. Previous studies agreed that some planet-wide cooling would occur but estimates have ranged from 3.6 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 8 degrees Celsius).
In the new study, scientists from @nasagoddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and @columbia found that even the most powerful blast wouldn’t exceed 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 Celsius) of cooling.
They also investigated why model temperature estimates diverged. The answer: the size of microscopic sulfur particles injected miles high into the atmosphere greatly impacts post-eruption cooling.
The team simulated super-eruptions over a range of particle sizes and found that super-eruptions may not alter global temperatures dramatically more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit – not orders of magnitude more than the largest eruptions of modern times.
Image description:
Photograph of the eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy in October 2002 from the vantage of the International Space Station. The volcano has several volcanic plumes, including one large plume of dark gray-brown smoke and ash coming from the top of the volcano.
#Earth #Climate #Volcano #Supervolcano #Atmosphere
