Wednesday, June 2, 2010

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.

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