Climate Change Could Cause Volcanic Eruptions
Posted by Kelly Smith on Tue, Apr 27, 2010
Scientists have known for a long time that there is a link between volcanoes and global climate change. However, the relationship was not thought to be reciprocal until recently. Scientists used to believe that volcanoes contributed to change in global temperatures, but they did not believe that increased carbon dioxide emissions could cause volcanic eruptions. Now they are recognizing that the climate changes caused by these emissions do have an influence on volcanic activity.
The relationship between volcanoes and global temperature is actually a little confusing. Large volcanic eruptions can cause global cooling for short periods of time because the sulphur dioxide they release can reflect the sun's rays away from the earth if they reach high enough into the atmosphere. However, volcanoes also release carbon dioxide, which works to trap heat in our atmosphere and raise global temperatures in the long term.
The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, warns that climate change can actually affect the earth's crust. While carbon dioxide itself may not affect the earth's crust, occurrences such as severe weather events and sea level rise caused by carbon dioxide emission-induced climate change are now thought to have an influence on geological events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.
Volcanologists such as University College London's Professor Bill McGuire and the University of Iceland's Freysteinn Sigmundsson warn that seemingly minor environmental changes can cause hazardous events such as volcano eruptions. Volcanoes are affected by temperature changes, and by the rise in sea level and loosening of magma below the earth's surface when heavy polar ice caps melt.
A recent volcano eruption in Iceland has been in the news a great deal over the last few days as a cloud of volcanic ash over Europe has grounded flights and stranded thousands of passengers worldwide. Though scientists have not linked this particular eruption to climate change, such events may become more common as climate changes continue.