“Volcanic Winters”

by Caleb, KE0FOE

Volcanic Winters happen following large, explosive volcanic eruptions when ash and droplets of sulfuric acid and water block out the Sun and increase the reflection of solar radiation causing worldwide temperatures to drop.

The most recent event happened after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. This eruption caused global temperatures to drop by an average of 1 degree Fahrenheit.

The massive volcanic eruption in 1815 of Mount Tambora in Indonesia caused what is known as “The Year Without A Summer” in 1816. Frosts and snowfall in New York and throughout New England were reported well into early summer. The haze in the atmosphere from that eruption was so thick and dimmed sunlight so much that people reportedly were able to see sunspots on the sun with the naked eye.

While this weekend’s events in Hawaii aren’t expected to have such extreme results given the nature of the eruptions, scientists are noting a worldwide uptick in volcanic activity, and the cumulative effect could result in some global cooling.

To learn more about Volcanic Winters, please visit this article by Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_winter

For more information about “the Year Without a Summer”, please visit this article by Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

Ever heard of “Dirty Thunderstorms”? They’re caused by volcanoes. Check out this article by Wikipedia to learn more:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_thunderstorm