What is the impact of aerosol emissions from volcanoes?

Volcanoes can emit water vapor, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, carbon dioxide, hydrogen fluoride and ash into the stratosphere. The conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid compresses rapidly in the stratosphere to forming sulfate aerosols. These aerosols go through the albedo affect, so the reflection of radiation from the sun gets reflected back into space, resulting in a cooler earth surface. Volcanoes are also a natural contributor to acid rain. They can emit up to 145 million to 255 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, polluting the earth’s atmosphere.

What is an example of a volcano eruption that had a major impact on climate?

On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted. It is recorded that it was the second largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century. Millions of tons of sulfur dioxide were released into the atmosphere, resulting in a decrease in the temperature all over the world for the next few years. At the same time of the eruption Tropical Storm Yunya was occurring close by creating a lot of rainfall in the same region. With precipitation in the air the ash was forced to mix with it, thickening the volume of ash as it landed on peoples communities. The eruption smoke of Mount Pinatubo's various gases and ash climbed high into the atmosphere within two hours of the eruption. In two weeks the aerosol cloud spread around the earth and smothered the planet. This reduced global temperatures in some places 0.4 to 0.5°C and 0.5 to 0.6°C. The eruption of Mont Pinatubo is also said to have caused the various changes in climate that occurred over the following years. These changes include the droughts in the Sahel region of Africa, and floods throughout the Mississippi River. The United States also began to have their wettest and coldest summers than they did have since about 77 years ago.

Hawaii volcanic eruption with lightning

What does sulfur dioxide emissions from volcanoes do?

The impact of the emission of sulfur dioxide on the environment depends on three points. The first point is the amount of gas the volcano lets out into the atmosphere; the second is whether the gas is released into the stratosphere or troposphere; the third depends on what global or regional wind and weather pattern is present during the disperse of the gas. The sulfur aerosols block the sunlight from hitting the earth therefore causing a slight temperature drop. The cooling of the earth’s surface is only a short-term climate change because the aerosols leave the atmosphere quickly.
Volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions can accelerate chemical reactions that cause the disintegration of the ozone layer, creating very low ozone levels. This is what happened on Mount Pinatubo in 1991.Sulfur dioxide emissions can also cause pollution by reacting with the oxygen, sunlight, water and dust particles forming volcanic smog. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo clearly showed the warming of the stratosphere, and cooling the troposphere.