Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Weather inquiry - What impact do volcanic eruptions have on regional climate?

What impact do volcanic eruptions have on regional climate?

A volcano is a crack in the earth that releases heat and gases. There are a total of 859 active volcanoes on earth (more than 700 on land and more than 100 under the sea). 360 million people are threatened by the eruptions of 60 active volcanoes every year. According to incomplete statistics, more than 100,000 people have died in volcanic eruptions in the 20th century, and volcanic eruptions have caused $20 billion in property losses.

The Pacific Ring of Fire, which contains 80% of the world's active volcanoes, can be called a "ring of fire" on the earth. The western mountainous areas of North and South America, the Indonesian island arc and the Japanese island arc on the "ring of fire" can also be called It is an active volcano museum. The remaining volcanoes are located in the Atlantic islands, the Mediterranean Sea and the East African Rift Valley.

The deadliest volcanic eruption in history was the Santorini volcano eruption in Greece in 1470 BC. The volcano ejected 62.5 billion cubic meters of material, and 50-meter-high waves swept across the islands and coasts of the Eastern Mediterranean, destroying the center of the Minoan civilization and the island of Crete, 130 kilometers away.

In 79 AD, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Indonesia left a lasting regret to mankind. The tuff dust ejected by the volcano turned the beautiful Pompeii into ruins.

Some famous volcanic eruptions in the 20th century include: the 1902 eruption of the Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala, the 1911 eruption of the Pelé volcano on the French island of Martinique, and the 1911 eruption of the Soufriere volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. The Taal Volcano eruption in Luzon, Philippines in 1912, the Katmai Volcano eruption in the United States in 1912, the Kelud volcano eruption and Merapi volcano in Indonesia in 1919 and 1930, and the Lamington volcano eruption in Papua New Guinea in 1951 , the 1977 Nyiragongo volcano eruption in the East African Rift Valley, the 1979 "Hell's Gate" eruption of Mount Etna, the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the United States, and the 1985 eruption of Colombia's Ruiz volcano As well as the 1986 poisonous spewing of poison from the bottom of the lake in the Nyos Crater in Cameroon.

Volcanic eruptions not only cause immeasurable property losses, but also affect regional climate changes. There is evidence that large-scale volcanic eruptions lower atmospheric temperatures because large amounts of ash from volcanoes float in the stratosphere and block sunlight. In 1783, the eruption of Mount Asama volcano caused a "cold summer" in Japan, and freezing damage occurred in northeastern Japan. The eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland at about the same time caused extremely cold weather in the European continent that year. The unprecedented eruption of Indonesia's Tambora volcano in 1815 shrouded the northern hemisphere in smoke ejected by the volcano. The following year, Europe and the Americas experienced "cold summer" weather, with heavy snowfall in June and July. This was historically known as the "Day without Summer". Year". After comparing and analyzing a large number of historical documents, American meteorologists Clifford Maass and David Portman announced that volcanic eruptions did cause climate change. Scientists claim that the eruption of five volcanoes can cause the temperature of half of the earth to drop by 0.1°C to 1.5°C within two to three years. The 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia caused the global temperature to drop by 0.5°C. However, this is a natural phenomenon that is difficult to accurately measure, and it is obviously unrealistic to pin hopes on preventing global temperature rise.