Volcanic Eruptions Will Increase Amid Climate Change Threats

Volcanic eruptions are seen to increase because of the continuing effects of climate change, a recent study has shown.

Volcanologist Jonathan Fink and Associate Professor of Geography Idowu "Jola" Ajibade studied about how climate change would affect the societal impacts of eruptions, a report on Phys.Org said.

The researchers said they examined how the present knowledge on how volcanoes work has been assembled. They said this would help in anticipating how volcanic activities will continue to change in the future.

Fink pointed out that volcano science advances steadily, in step with technological progress.

However, it also can change immediately and radically in response to "unusually large or impactful eruptions."

Based on their study, the experts stressed that understanding how volcano activity may change over time is important "as climate change continues to have direct and indirect effects on how volcanoes behave."

"Sea level rise, glacial melting, aquifer depletion, and mountain erosion can all affect the likelihood and frequency of volcanic eruptions," Fink said in the Phys.Org report.

"With the increasing seriousness of climate impacts on society, the search for 'geoengineering' solutions will make it more likely that countries will consider volcano-mimicking interventions-like an injection of aerosols into the stratosphere to cool the Earth's surface," he added.

Pacific Northwest

Meanwhile, the study revealed that the Pacific Northwest has the largest variety of potential natural and manmade disasters in North America, which have only increased in frequency and overlap in the last 20 years.

Research showed that the region is characterized by volcanic eruptions of different scales and types, catastrophic subduction zone earthquakes, mega-wildfires that can wipe out cities, and wildfire smoke events that can make air unbreathable.

Moreover, tsunamis that can drown coastal communities, landslides and floods that can inundate cities, as well as heat dome events are also common in this region.

According to Fink, the likelihood of volcanic eruptions coinciding with climate-related storms, droughts, floods as well as other disasters is increasing.

He warned that this could make planning and responding to environment crises more challenging.

The volcanologist said studies should not just focus on one aspect of volcanology but to other fields as well, including social science, public health, and communication.

Gases release

In an entry posted on NASA, it was explained that volcanic eruptions are often discussed in relation to climate change due to the fact that they release CO2 as well as other gases into the atmosphere.

Further, the report said climate scientists often raised volcanic eruptions "to better understand and explain short periods of cooling in our planet's past."

It noted that in every few decades or so, there is a volcanic eruption that throws out a tremendous number of particles and other gases.

According to NASA, the largest possible eruptions come from super volcanoes like Yellowstone or Mount Toba, which erupt very rarely or about every 100,000 to 200,000 years or more.

Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey said the most significant climate effects from volcanic injections into the stratosphere could come from the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid.

It said this condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulfate aerosols.

The USGS also said the aerosols increase the reflection of radiation from the sun back into space, cooling the Earth's lower atmosphere or troposphere.