How do volcanoes change the local, and later, the global climate?

Question

for science...

thanks so much!!!=]

Answer 1

Even a small volcanic eruption, will destroy years and years of conservation, all the CO2 you save with your Prius and CFL's, green energy, ethanol, and canvas shopping bags will be useless, but if it makes you feel good then do it.

Answer 2

Wrong section.

Answer 3

The Real Answer:  Scientists are only now getting a handle on 'subaerial' (above ground) volcanoes.

See the thin lithosphere under the oceans - 3-5 miles thick.

http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/...

Scientists have absolutely NO IDEA how many subocean volcanoes exist or how active they are and how they effect global climate!!

Global distribution of seamounts from ship-track bathymetry data:

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2007/20...

Thousand of new volcanoes revealed beneath the waves =

"The team estimates that in total there could be about 3 million submarine volcanoes, "

http://environment.newscientist.com/arti...

Listen to climate change

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian...

+ and many more

Can anyone answer why this heat anomaly exists about Australia?

http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite...

Pacific Ring of Fire

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/fire.ht...

WhackoPedia - Pacific Ring of Fire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Rin...

Answer 4

Two ways I can think of right off the top of my head.  Some of the gases are greenhouse gases (enhancing warming) but a lot reflect sunlight back into space (reducing global warming).  I think with particulate matter getting into the stratosphere, the net effect of big eruptions is actually a net cooling. Particles in the stratosphere absorb some of the incoming solar radiation (INSOLATION) and re-radiate it to space, or reflect the sun light.

Answer 5

Large amounts of of ash blasted into the upper atmosphere

(remember Mt St Helen's, and Mt Pinatubo?) will cause a cooling effect as it blocks out sunlight.

Other gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide etc......can and do contribute more to "Global Warming"  over a period of time. Other gasses produced by volcanoes include hydrogen sulfide (H2S), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen chloride (HCL), hydrogen fluoride (HF), and helium (He).