Could Recent Volcano Activity cool the Earth?

2009-03-28 19:33:55

#1

Harmor: Error_Name_Not_Found; +605|6851|San Diego, CA, USA

After learning about the recent Mount Redoubt Eruption and the Tonga Island Erruption got me thinking...could they cool the Earth?

See a volcano is like a meteor when it spews millions of tons of ash into the upper parts of the atmosphere. If too much of it gets up there it'll start blocking out the sun as well as reflecting some of the infrared energy back into space.

https://img256.imageshack.us/img256/7148/earthsgreenhouseeffectsx.jpg

What say you?

2009-03-28 19:36:10

#2

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6802|so randum

No.

Volcanisity, and tectonics as a whole are natural processes.

In the grand scheme of the Earth, they are but a drop in the ocean.

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2009-03-28 19:38:33

#3

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6831|Global Command

^^ lulz.

See The Year With No Spring.
Krakatoa.

Fuck i'm drunk.

2009-03-28 19:40:33

#4

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6802|so randum

ATG wrote:
^^ lulz.

See The Year With No Spring.
Krakatoa.

Fuck i'm drunk.

Merely a blip. Check dates and stuff for the Holocene, whatever happens this planet is warming up. Wether we can slow it/we are influencing the acceleration is a different matter. And you owe me a PM.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-03-28 20:03:03

#5

Spark: liquid fluoride thorium reactor; +874|6977|Canberra, AUS

ATG wrote:
^^ lulz.

See The Year With No Spring.
Krakatoa.

Fuck i'm drunk.

Keywords: The Year. Not the Century, or even the Decade, but the year.

It needs a truly enormous eruption to have an effect on global climate lasting beyond a few years.

The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
^{~ Richard Feynman}

2009-03-28 20:06:01

#6

Harmor: Error_Name_Not_Found; +605|6851|San Diego, CA, USA

Spark wrote:
Keywords: The Year. Not the Century, or even the Decade, but the year.

It needs a truly enormous eruption to have an effect on global climate lasting beyond a few years.

So if we continued to have volcanic activity over a sustained period of time then it could be possible to cool the earth? But these two erruptions, you're saying, are too small for any measurable cooling?

2009-03-28 20:13:43

#7

Spark: liquid fluoride thorium reactor; +874|6977|Canberra, AUS

Harmor wrote:
Spark wrote:
Keywords: The Year. Not the Century, or even the Decade, but the year.

It needs a truly enormous eruption to have an effect on global climate lasting beyond a few years.
So if we continued to have volcanic activity over a sustained period of time then it could be possible to cool the earth? But these two erruptions, you're saying, are too small for any measurable cooling?

These two eruptions are tiny. They're minute compared with the biggest eruption in recent history, Mt Tambora, or the most famous, Mt St Helens, and even those had little global effect.

Seriously, you need a LOT of volcanic activity to throw up enough ash, dust, and SO2 to cool the earth for any longer than a year. Ash and dust settles and SO2 breaks down. You would need a volcanic eruption capable of obliterating a big chunk of land - small country, say - (and I mean leave NOTHING alive or standing), not to mention the effects of ash fallout.

Last edited by Spark (2009-03-28 20:15:24)

The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
^{~ Richard Feynman}

2009-03-28 21:03:46

#8

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6802|so randum

What spark said. He's like me, but he can type.

Think of Volcanic activity akin to a Nuclear war - Yes, over a prolonged period it would cool the Earth, but it would also wipe out life.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-03-28 21:51:24

#9

The#1Spot: Member; +105|6842|byah

So what equation will the environmentalists make up for this.

2009-03-28 21:53:14

#10

usmarine: Banned; +2,785|7064

The#1Spot wrote:
So what equation will the environmentalists make up for this.

something full of shit i am sure. spark will post it. just look for the bold text.

2009-03-28 21:56:23

#11

Harmor: Error_Name_Not_Found; +605|6851|San Diego, CA, USA

So what you're saying is that these natural volcanoes couldn't possibliy do as much harm as humans unless they were so large or so numerious that it would probably kill billions?

2009-03-28 21:58:50

#12

Diesel_dyk: Object in mirror will feel larger than it appears; +178|6297|Truthistan

after Mt Saint Helens we had some crappy cold summers and bad early winters.

2009-03-28 23:53:34

#13

M.O.A.B: 'Light 'em up!'; +1,220|6525|Escea

Yellowstone needs to go kabloom if that docu-program was to be believed.

2009-03-29 00:05:09

#14

Dilbert_X: The X stands for; +1,817|6408|eXtreme to the maX

It would be a short term effect at best.

Fuck Israel

2009-03-29 00:15:22

#15

Spark: liquid fluoride thorium reactor; +874|6977|Canberra, AUS

usmarine wrote:
The#1Spot wrote:
So what equation will the environmentalists make up for this.
something full of shit i am sure. spark will post it. just look for the bold text.

The fuck are you two on about?

The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
^{~ Richard Feynman}

2009-03-29 05:37:21

#16

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6525|Brisneyland

Spark backs his posts up with scientific research, which is more than I can say for some posters here.

The thing about volcanic ash is that it is heavier than air and falls down after a while. CO2 doesnt.

2009-03-29 05:41:04

#17

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6903|132 and Bush

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21755313/

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-03-29 13:02:57

#18

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6707|North Carolina

Volcanoes could potentially have the same effect as pollution did in something known as Global Dimming. There is a wide range in the amount of pollution volcanoes can produce, and in the most extreme cases, their effects can dwarf those of mankind.

So yes, volcanoes could produce results that may counteract those made by man.

In most analyses of global warming/climate change, volcanoes are an X-factor. Predicting the activity of a volcano is much like predicting the weather, with accuracy being hard to come by when it comes to short timespans. It's much easier to develop a general long term trend spanning decades or centuries than it is to predict the next month's weather or volcanic activity.

Because of this uncertainty, it's hard to say whether or not volcanoes will heighten or lessen our own effects on global warming and the warming and cooling cycles of the planet.

2009-03-29 13:07:33

#19

Bell: Frosties > Cornflakes; +362|6852|UK

Didnt we just have one of the coldest winters in years?

2009-03-29 13:12:31

#20

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6707|North Carolina

Bell wrote:
Didnt we just have one of the coldest winters in years?

We did. although we've had some of the hottest summers in recent years as well.

One of the things that global warming does is make weather more extreme. Global Warming is somewhat of a misnomer when looking at how it can result in colder winters in addition to raising the average annual temperature of the planet.

As the northern ice cap melts more and more during the summer, this affects underwater thermal currents. It's a bit of a complicated process that would take a long post to explain, but the general idea is that the northern ice cap traps heat in these thermal currents as they move northward before going back southward. These currents affect weather patterns and winds, which ultimately affects the temperature and length of seasons as well.

2009-03-29 13:38:46

#21

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6802|so randum

Turquoise wrote:
Bell wrote:
Didnt we just have one of the coldest winters in years?
We did. although we've had some of the hottest summers in recent years as well.

One of the things that global warming does is make weather more extreme. Global Warming is somewhat of a misnomer when looking at how it can result in colder winters in addition to raising the average annual temperature of the planet.

As the northern ice cap melts more and more during the summer, this affects underwater thermal currents. It's a bit of a complicated process that would take a long post to explain, but the general idea is that the northern ice cap traps heat in these thermal currents as they move northward before going back southward. These currents affect weather patterns and winds, which ultimately affects the temperature and length of seasons as well.

Brings change in salinity levels too, which causes another world of problems. And can you imagine if they impacted on the nina/nino cycles, or any of the major streams?

Day after tomorrow much.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-03-29 13:46:00

#22

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6707|North Carolina

FatherTed wrote:
Turquoise wrote:
Bell wrote:
Didnt we just have one of the coldest winters in years?
We did. although we've had some of the hottest summers in recent years as well.

One of the things that global warming does is make weather more extreme. Global Warming is somewhat of a misnomer when looking at how it can result in colder winters in addition to raising the average annual temperature of the planet.

As the northern ice cap melts more and more during the summer, this affects underwater thermal currents. It's a bit of a complicated process that would take a long post to explain, but the general idea is that the northern ice cap traps heat in these thermal currents as they move northward before going back southward. These currents affect weather patterns and winds, which ultimately affects the temperature and length of seasons as well.
Brings change in salinity levels too, which causes another world of problems. And can you imagine if they impacted on the nina/nino cycles, or any of the major streams?

Day after tomorrow much.

Heh... pretty much, although thankfully... these changes are usually much much slower than what that movie showed. The progression of events that occurred in Day After Tomorrow would likely take several decades or even centuries. What we're currently experiencing is a spike in tropical storms. A few years ago, we had more hurricanes in a 12-month period than ever recorded.

We also saw the first hurricane in the South Atlantic ever recorded in 2004 -- Hurricane Catarina.

BF2S Forums Could Recent Volcano Activity cool the Earth?

ATG wrote:

ATG wrote:

Spark wrote:

Harmor wrote:

Spark wrote:

The#1Spot wrote:

usmarine wrote:

The#1Spot wrote:

Bell wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Bell wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Bell wrote:

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