50 million tons of water vapor from Tonga eruption could warm Earth for years
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More than eight months after a submarine volcano near Tonga erupted on January 14, scientists are still analyzing the effects of the violent explosion, finding it could warm the planet. doing.
Researchers recently calculated that the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apa eruption released a staggering 50 million tons of water vapor into the atmosphere, in addition to huge amounts of ash and gas. . This massive steam injection could increase the water content of the global stratosphere by about 5%, triggering a cycle of stratospheric cooling and surface heating. These effects could last for months to come, according to new research.
The Tonga eruption, which began on January 13 and peaked two days later, most powerful on earth in decadesThe blast spread over 162 miles (260 kilometers) and produced ash, vapor, and gas Soar more than 12 miles (20 km) into the air, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Massive volcanic eruptions typically cool the Earth by releasing sulfur dioxide into the upper layers. earthAtmosphere that filters solar radiation. Rock and ash particles can also temporarily cool the planet by blocking sunlight, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation. Atmospheric Research University CorporationThus, widespread and intense volcanic activity in Earth’s distant past may have contributed to global climate change. climate changemass extinction trigger millions of years ago.
Related: Massive Tongan submarine volcanic eruption caught on stunning satellite video
Recent eruptions also prove volcano‘Planetary cooling power. Aerosols spewed out of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines when it erupted in 1991. powerful volcanic blast Live Science previously reported that global temperatures have dropped by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius) for at least a year.
Tonga emitted about 441,000 tons (400,000 metric tons) of sulfur dioxide. erupted from Mount Pinatubo During the 1991 eruption. But unlike Pinatubo (and most large volcanic eruptions occurring on land), the underwater Tonga volcanic plume pumped “significant amounts of water” into the stratosphere. According to the National Weather Service, up to 12 miles (6 to 20 km) (NWS).
In submarine volcanoes, “undersea eruptions can derive most of their explosive energy from the interaction of water and hot magma,” scientists write in a new study published Sept. 22.journal chemistryWithin 24 hours after the eruption, the plume extended 17 miles (28 km) into the atmosphere.
The research team analyzed the amount of water in the plume by evaluating data collected by a device called a radiosonde attached to a weather balloon. Sensors measure as these instruments rise through the atmosphere. temperaturebarometric pressure, relative humidity, and transmit that data to a receiver on the ground. NWS.
Water vapor in the atmosphere absorbs solar radiation and re-emits it as heat. Tens of millions of tons of Tongan water will drift into the stratosphere, heating the surface of the Earth. But because the vapor is lighter than other volcanic aerosols and less affected by gravity, this warming effect could take time to dissipate, and surface warming could continue “over the next few months.” Scientists say there is
Previous research into the eruption showed that Tonga released enough water vapor to fill 58,000 Olympic-size swimming pools, and that this tremendous amount of atmospheric moisture could potentially weaken the ozone layerLive Science previously reported.
In the new study, scientists also determined that these vast amounts of water vapor could actually alter the chemical cycle that controls stratospheric ozone. role too. “
Originally published in Live Science.
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