Volcanic eruption and climate change

Volcanic eruption, it triggers fear when it is mentioned. This shows how bad the effect of
volcanic eruption can cause to human being, or even worst, the environment that we have been
living in for millions of years. To be precise, volcanic eruption is a sudden occurrence of violent
discharge of large amount of hazardous particles, such as larvae and steam into the environment.
The steam released constitute of sand particles, fine and course, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
sulphide, water vapour, sulphur dioxide and some other harmful materials. A volcano is a place
on earths surface where hot molten rocks break. A vent or chimney connects the magma from
the earths crust to the earths surface. There are three major types of volcanoes that exist in the
world, which are active volcanoes, dormant volcanoes and the extinct ones. They are classified
by their frequency of eruption. Active volcanoes are those that erupt continuously or regularly.
Dormant volcanoes are volcanoes that erupted in historical times but are now more quiet and the
frequency of eruption is much more lesser than the active ones whereas extinct volcanoes are
those which erupted in historical times but is now considered unlikely to erupt again. Just like
hot air, the hot molten rocks have lower density than the crustal rocks. This is due to the long
period of heating effect by the means of convection within the crust. As what we all know, the
pressure within the crust is tremendously high. All these sum up to the great increase of
temperature of magma. After exceeding a certain limit, magma breaks through the vent and
flows into the environment. What control the violence of an eruption? This has been studied by
geologist for years and they came out with some conclusions. Volcanoes are characterised by
different eruptions and styles, from effusive eruptions where the lava is outpoured on to the
ground to explosive eruptions where volcanic lava blocks and ashes are ejected into the
atmosphere with high speed. These are all controlled by the pressure in magma chamber,
viscosity of the magma and the diameter of the conduits of volcanoes.
Volcanic eruptions release large amount of carbon dioxide into the environment. Carbon dioxide
is one of the greenhouse gasses. What are greenhouse gasses? During old times, when sunlight
strikes the earths surface, some of it is reflected back to the outer space by the surface. This
helps in maintaining the desirable temperature of the surface of the earth for all organisms to live
in. However, as time passes, carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere increases gradually
due to anthropogenic activities and volcanic eruptions. Heat from the outer space is absorbed and
trapped within the greenhouse gasses, disabling it to be reflected back to outer space. Overtime,
this increases the temperature of the earths surface causes global warming to take place and
eventually climate change. Is this what we want our future generation to go through? Nowadays,
global warming is a major issue widely discussed by people all around the world. They believe
that this is the main cause that endangers the environment. Global warming leads to some main
subject matters. It causes ice caps in poles to melt and hence increases the sea level at some
regions. Flood is then happened at areas where it was never a problem encountered by them
before. This problem worsens when sinking of islands which are at lower attitudes occurs. For an
example, Maldives is an island that is just barely above the sea level. It is now undergoing the
risk of going under the sea soon due to rises is sea level that intensifies every single day. An
island which is the paradise for all scuba diving is fighting to keep its head above the sea water.
Imagine looking out a window with sea level rising every day, is this bearable? Based on a
research done by the government of Maldives, 14 of 200 inhabited islands are already gone.
Coastal erosion has made their seaside villages unliveable. A further 70 islands rely on
desalinated drinking water because aquifers have been overcome by seawater. At least 80 per
cent of the Maldivian landmass is less than a metre above sea level, the archipelago's highest
point a mere 2.4 metres above high tide.
Besides that, lava flow of the volcanoes during volcanic eruptions contributes to the change in
climate as well. Lava is hot magma that escaped into the environment through the vent of
volcanoes. Its extremely high in pressure. The heat given out by the flow is unbearable.
Depends on its properties, lava can be very fluid or sticky. They travel in a relatively high speed
and pressure and is able to bury or crush whatever that are along its path. Everything in the path
of the flow might be ignited by the extremely hot temperature of lava. Take volcanic eruption
that happened in Heimaey, Iceland as an example, Eldfell is a volcano on the island of Heimaey
in the Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. In 1973, an eruption occurred not far from the town of
Vestmannaeyjar. The fissure extended across the entire island, producing a spectacular curtain of
fire. The lava flow of this eruption had caused one- third of the town to be destroyed. This is one
of the historical catastrophes that ever happened to mankind. Furthermore, the effect of lava flow
becomes even worse hen lava erupts beneath a glacier or flows over snow and ice, melted water
from the ice and snow can result in far-reaching lahars. If lava enters a body of water especially,
the water may boil violently and cause an explosive shower of molten spatter over a wide area.
This will also cause damage to the marine life. Due to the hot temperature, lives of aquatic
organisms are threatened. This is due to low concentration of dissolved oxygen in the oceans.
Solubility of oxygen gas decreases as the temperature increases. This affects the evaporation of
sea water and thus influences the water cycle. This out- balance temperature of the environment.
Methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas produced through the eruptions will also enhance the
effect of volcanic eruption to the climate change.
As mentioned above, volcanic eruptions do give out dust which the amount of it is enough in
forming ash clouds. One of the biggest effects is that it causes fiery sunsets. This due to
scattering of suns rays by the ashes and gives the sunset its apparent colour. Fiery sunsets are
coloured by the dust and gases injected into the troposphere. Laki volcano in Iceland was erupted
in 1783. A data was recorded stating that the ash falls from this eruption deposited more than 15
centimetres deep at a spot which is 25 kilometres away from the volcano. This shows how far the
ashes can travel. Ashes are light and can be blown all away around the globe. This affects the
entire world instead of just a particular region. Ashes are capable in blocking the penetration of
sunlight to reach the Earth and as well block them from reflecting back to the outer space. The
worst case is that the ashes are light enough to circle in the atmosphere for few weeks. This gives
rise to the climate change.
Another volcanic hazard is the pyroclastic flow formed. . A pyroclastic flow is a concentrated
avalanche of material, formed from an eruption of volcano. It is a fast moving superheated gas.
Because of its high proportion of gases to rocks, it can travel far can fast and somehow causes
disaster to happen. It flattens trees and forests by destroying them or burying them underneath.
Pyroclastic flows are more likely to follow valleys and other depressions, and their deposits infill
this topography. This can be related to the history of Pompeii. Pyroclastic flows of poisonous gas
and hot volcanic debris engulfed the cities of Pompeii, suffocating the inhabitants and burying
the buildings. The cities of Pompeii remained buried and undiscovered for almost 1700 years
until excavations continue today and provide insight into the life during Roman Empire. Think
about it, when cities disappear from the Earths surface, species of animals will undergo
extinctions. Mass extinctions will soon take place. The sudden changes of the surroundings cause
animals to have not enough time to adapt and soon be eliminated from the nature.
In addition, volcanic emissions give out a great amount of hazardous gases, such as H2S, SO2
and etc. sulphur contained gases can quickly oxidize to sulphur dioxide once they are given out
into the stratosphere, which is the lower part of the atmosphere. This gas magnificently affects
the chemical composition and the optical properties of the stratosphere. Sulphur dioxide absorbs
ultraviolet and infrared radiation, producing very strong localized stratosphere heating. It will
abrupt the temperature of the Atmosphere. Because of the properties of the sulphur, they are
quickly attached to the acid aerosols in air to form aerosols clouds. This will not only cause acid
rain, but will also leads to serious air pollution and hence change in climate. Sulphur dioxide
droplets take several years to settle out and they are capable to decreasing the troposphere
temperatures because they absorb solar radiation and scatter it back to space. Together with the
global warming effect caused by volcanic eruptions stated above, its well proven that volcanic
activities totally disturb the balance of the temperature of the earths surface. It causes some
regions to undergo changes that they never experience before. Example of region that went
through global cooling is area around Laki volcano. The eastern U.S. recorded the lowest-ever
winter average temperature in 1783-84, about 4.8
O
C below the 225-year average. Europe also
experienced an abnormally severe winter. Benjamin Franklin suggested that these cold
conditions resulted from the blocking out of sunlight by dust and gases created by the Iceland
Laki eruption in 1783. The Laki eruption was the largest outpouring of basalt lava in historic
times. Franklin's hypothesis is consistent with modern scientific theory, which suggests that large
volumes of SO2 are the main culprit in haze-effect global cooling.
Other than that, due to the large amount of dangerous chemical compositions is released during
eruptions, water pollution can be induced. This often happened to the rivers and oceans which
are near to the area of volcanoes. Water pollution is the contamination of water by hazardous
chemicals. Dont u know that rain is formed due to the evaporation of ocean and rivers water?
So when the polluted water rises to the air, it will disturb the whole water cycle. Effect of acid
rain is enhanced. Acid rain damages forest and soil. As what we all know, forest is a huge carbon
sink. It helps in maintaining the temperature of the Earths surface by taking in greenhouse gas
such as carbon dioxide to lower the effect of global warming. When forests are gone, imagine
how will these affect our environment?

In addition, volcanoes can induce the happening of tsunami. When a land-based volcano is break
down and collapse after an eruption, large amount of ash and debris is forced into the water. This
sudden change and displacement of water columns transfer to kinetic energy and waves are
resulted. Tsunami can also be induced by volcanoes which are under the ocean. When
underwater volcanoes erupt, large amount of heat is given out and this causes the ocean to be
heated up. There goes tsunami happening due to the fast and random motion of water molecules.
Tsunamis are some of the most devastating natural disasters known to man. Think of a flood
with its source being an ocean and you can grasp a little of how much devastation tsunamis can
create. The force of it is able to sweep away everything that in its path, building or even worse
forests. Forests are previous reservoir to mankind. It compensates all the carbon dioxide given
put by anthropogenic activities. Forests are large carbon sink that we could ever ask for. The loss
of forests cause by tsunamis enhances the changes of climate in a bad way. Last but not least,
when a tsunami wave comes ashore, it can affect a huge area of land, transforming the landscape.
Tsunami wave throws salty seawater over the land. Too much salt is bad for living things, so if
soil becomes too salty, crops cannot grow or will not grow well. The force of a tsunami can also
ruin pipelines and factories. This lets out sewage, oil, or dangerous chemicals into the
environment. It can take many years. for the environment to restore back to normal.
Many areas at risk from earthquakes also face the threat of volcanic eruptions. More than 500
million people live close to the 550 active volcanoes areas on the Earth. The term active for
volcanoes is actually misleading, though as volcanoes thought to be extinct and is finally
bringing spring to life. The danger of dormant volcanoes is never predictable. The obvious
example is Mountain Pinatubo in Philippines. It was recorded that its last few eruptions before
the one in 1991 was few hundred years ago, is now one of the most disastrous eruptions. Based
on research done by the experts, about 60 volcanic eruptions occur on land each year, but this
represents only about 20% of the total activities. This shows that volcanic eruptions are
unpredictable. Hence, ways in preventing damage caused by volcanic eruptions must be done.
Prevention is better than cure. Moreover, the damage caused by the eruptions is sometimes
beyond our expectation. We must all do something about it to make the world a better place.
Inventions of new ways to avoid losses due to eruption must be done and scrutinized by
everyone. Knowledges by all matters to make this happens, no one should be left out in this.


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