Scientists are still analyzing the impact of the underwater volcano that erupted in January, and they think it could warm the planet.
According to researchers, the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apa released 45 million metric tons of water into the atmosphere, along with huge amounts of ash and volcanic gases. According to a new study, this massive vapor injection could cause a cycle of stratospheric cooling and surface heating for months to come.
The most powerful eruption on Earth in decades took place in the month of January. The blast caused pillars of ash, steam and gas to soar more than 20 km into the air.
Sulfur dioxide islched into the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere by big volcanic eruptions to cool down the planet. Particles of rock and ash can block sunlight and temporarily cool the planet. Mass extinctions millions of years ago may have been caused by widespread and violent volcanic activity in the past.
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There is a huge underwater volcano eruption in the video.
Live Science reported that aerosols from Mount Pinatubo lowered global temperatures by at least one year.
During the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, a small amount of sulfur dioxide was expelled.
In underwater volcanoes, the interaction of water and hot magma can cause huge quantities of water and steam into the eruption column, according to a new study. The cloud extended over 17 miles into the atmosphere within a day.
The amount of water in the volcano was analyzed by the researchers using instruments called radiosondes, which were attached to weather balloons and sent into the volcano. As these instruments rise through the atmosphere, their sensors measure temperature, air pressure and relative humidity, and transmit that data to a receiver on the ground.
Earth's surface will be heating up, though it's unclear by how much, thanks to the atmospheric water vapor absorbing solar radiation and re-emits it as heat. The scientists said it would take longer for the warming effect to be dissipated because the vapor is lighter than other volcanic aerosols.
According to Live Science, prior research into the eruption found that the amount of water in the air could potentially weaken the ozone layer.
Detailed studies will need to be done to quantify the effect on the amount of ozone because other chemical reactions may play a role.
It was originally published on Live Science
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