Volcanic eruptions increase worldwide.
Volcanic eruptions are increasing worldwide, and seven volcanoes are nearing violent eruptions. You might not think this is any big deal as long as the volcanoes aren’t in YOUR backyard, but volcanic eruptions are a HUGE influence on our global climate.
There are approximately 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide, but a volcano is considered “active” if it has erupted in the last 10,000 years. Actually, no one knows how many volcanoes are on our planet because many are under the sea, and others may be waking up from OVER 10,000 years of inactivity.
We do know that over 75% of the world’s known volcanoes and most active volcanoes are located along the Pacific Rim, called the Ring of Fire.
How Volcanoes Change The Climate
Erupting volcanoes send clouds of ash and solid debris thousands of feet into the air, and this has a cooling effect when the “volcanic cloud” is filled with ash and sulphur dioxide, which reflects the sunlight. Some volcanoes erupt with high levels of CO2, and this has a warming effect, like a “Greenhouse Effect.”
Until a volcano erupts, no one knows if it will be a cooling volcano or a warming volcano. Maybe it will be both. Out of seven eruptions, it probably will be both ... like we need something else to change our weather right now …
Hot Or Cold
Volcanic eruptions can be filled with many different gases, changing the climate in different ways.
Cooling eruptions can cause a significant dip in global temperatures for the following year or two. As a general rule, the cooling influence of ONE volcano can dominate the climate for a short period immediately after an eruption, but the warming impact of eruptions strong in CO2 typically lasts much longer. So, the significance of each eruption depends on the timeframe being considered.
No one really knows because not enough data has been recorded from past eruptions – most of us weren’t around thousands of years ago. We do know that there are all kinds of effects on the wind circulation and where storms occur.
Today, we are witnessing unpredictable weather patterns and historic violent storms. There is a connection to the number of volcanoes erupting today.
Volcanic Eruption Advisories
June 6, 2013
- Kakai – Japan
- Mayon – Phillipines
- Turrialba – Costa Rica
- Popocatepetl – Mexico
- Pavlof – Alaska, USA
- Copahue – Chile-Argentina
- Cleveland – Alaska, USA
The next time someone asks why we are experiencing such drastic weather changes and violent storms, tell them to check the list of volcanoes erupting right now.
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