Meteorologist explains how volcanic eruptions affect the climate

9NEWS

17 Jan 202201:59

Summary

TLDRA massive volcanic eruption of Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific was captured by weather satellites, causing a global shockwave. The underwater volcano's unique conditions led to intense pressure and a release of water vapor, ash, and sulfur dioxide. While sulfur dioxide can temporarily cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight, this eruption's impact on climate is minimal compared to human activities. The carbon dioxide emissions from such eruptions are negligible in the context of atmospheric warming.

Takeaways

🌋 A massive volcanic eruption occurred at Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean.
🌎 The explosion produced a shockwave that traveled around the entire planet.
💧 The violent explosion was partly due to water seeping into the magma chamber and vaporizing, creating immense pressure.
🌪️ Boulder Professor Brian Toon explains the eruption launched water vapor, ash, and gases high into the atmosphere.
⚠️ Sulfur dioxide is a key gas emitted by the volcano, which can affect climate when it turns into sulfuric acid droplets.
🌡️ Sulfuric acid droplets can reflect sunlight, leading to a temporary cooling effect on Earth, as observed after major eruptions.
📉 The 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption cooled the atmosphere by about 1 degree Fahrenheit for over a year.
🔍 This week's eruption at Hunga Tonga is not significant enough to have a noticeable impact on the climate, according to Professor Toon.
📈 Volcanoes also emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, but its contribution is minimal compared to human activities.
🌍 A NASA study shows that the CO2 from Mount Pinatubo was equivalent to what humans produce in two days, making Hunga Tonga's impact negligible.
🌡️ Meteorologist Corey Reppenhagen reports that any short-term cooling from the eruption would be slight and not significant.

Q & A

What event was captured by weather satellites on Friday?
-A massive explosion from a volcano known as Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean.
What effect did the explosion have on the planet?
-The explosion produced a shockwave that traveled all the way around the entire planet.
Why was the explosion from the Hunga Tonga volcano particularly violent?
-Most of the volcano is underwater, which allowed a lot of water to seep into the magma chamber, vaporizing and producing huge pressure that blew it apart.
Who is Professor Brian Toon and what does he specialize in?
-Professor Brian Toon is a boulder professor who studies the impact of volcanic eruptions on the climate.
What key gas is emitted by volcanoes that can affect the climate?
-The key gas emitted by volcanoes is sulfur dioxide.
How does sulfur dioxide impact the atmosphere when it heats up in sunlight?
-When sulfur dioxide heats up in sunlight, it changes into droplets called sulfuric acid, which can reflect sunlight back to space.
What was observed after big volcanic eruptions that can affect the Earth's temperature?
-After big eruptions, the formation of sulfuric acid droplets can reflect sunlight, leading to a temporary cooling of the Earth.
How did the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 affect the atmosphere's temperature?
-The Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 cooled the atmosphere by about 1 degree Fahrenheit for a little more than a year.
How does the recent eruption of Hunga Tonga compare to the Mount Pinatubo eruption in terms of climate impact?
-The recent eruption of Hunga Tonga pales in comparison to the Mount Pinatubo eruption and is not significant enough to have an obvious impact on the climate.
What is the role of carbon dioxide emitted by volcanoes in the atmosphere?
-Volcanoes emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes warming to the atmosphere, but its contribution is minimal compared to other sources.
According to a NASA study, how does the amount of CO2 from the Mount Pinatubo eruption compare to human daily production?
-The amount of CO2 from the Mount Pinatubo eruption is equal to the amount of CO2 that humans produce twice every day.
What is the significance of the Hunga Tonga volcano's CO2 emissions to the atmosphere according to Corey Reppenhagen?
-The concentration of CO2 from the Hunga Tonga volcano would hardly be noticeable and is not of significant interest to the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere at present.

Outlines

00:00

🌋 Massive Volcanic Eruption in Hunga Tonga

A significant volcanic eruption occurred at Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean, as captured by weather satellites on a Friday. The explosion was extraordinarily powerful due to the majority of the volcano being submerged, allowing water to infiltrate the magma chamber and vaporize, leading to immense pressure that caused the eruption. Boulder Professor Brian Toon explains that the eruption propelled water vapor, ash, and gases, including sulfur dioxide, high into the atmosphere, reaching up to 18 miles. Sulfur dioxide, when heated by sunlight, transforms into sulfuric acid droplets that can reflect sunlight back into space, potentially leading to short-term cooling effects on Earth. The 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption serves as a historical reference, having cooled the atmosphere by about 1 degree Fahrenheit for over a year. However, the recent eruption at Hunga Tonga is not expected to have a significant impact on the climate. Additionally, while volcanoes emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, the amounts released by such eruptions are minimal compared to human activities, with a NASA study indicating that the Mount Pinatubo eruption released an amount of CO2 equivalent to what humans produce in two days. The Hunga Tonga eruption's carbon dioxide emissions are considered negligible in the context of atmospheric CO2 levels.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Weather satellites

Weather satellites are specialized artificial satellites that observe various aspects of the Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans in order to monitor weather conditions, climate, and the environment. In the video's context, they captured the massive explosion from the Hunga Tonga volcano, highlighting their crucial role in detecting and monitoring natural events that impact our planet.

💡Hunga Tonga

Hunga Tonga is the name of the volcano that erupted in the South Pacific Ocean. The script refers to it as 'Hungry Tonga,' which seems to be a mispronunciation. The volcano's eruption is the central event of the video, demonstrating the power of volcanic activity and its potential global effects.

💡Shockwave

A shockwave is a type of pressure wave that results from an explosion or a similar sudden release of energy. In the script, the shockwave from the Hunga Tonga volcano explosion is mentioned as having traveled around the entire planet, indicating the magnitude and far-reaching consequences of the eruption.

💡Magma chamber

A magma chamber is a large underground reservoir of molten rock from which magma is erupted through a volcano. The script explains that water seeped into the magma chamber of the Hunga Tonga volcano, causing a buildup of pressure that led to the violent explosion. This concept is key to understanding the mechanics of volcanic eruptions.

💡Water vapor

Water vapor is the gaseous state of water and a common component of Earth's atmosphere. According to the script, the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano launched water vapor, along with ash and gases, high into the atmosphere. This highlights the role of water in volcanic processes and its subsequent impact on the climate.

💡Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is a chemical compound that can have significant effects on the atmosphere, particularly when released in large quantities during volcanic eruptions. The script mentions sulfur dioxide as a key gas emitted by the volcano, which can lead to the formation of sulfuric acid droplets that reflect sunlight, potentially cooling the Earth's climate.

💡Sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive acid that can form when sulfur dioxide is heated in the presence of sunlight. As described in the script, the transformation of sulfur dioxide into sulfuric acid droplets can contribute to a cooling effect on the Earth after a volcanic eruption by reflecting sunlight back into space.

💡Climate impact

The term 'climate impact' refers to the effects that natural or human-induced events have on the Earth's climate system. The script discusses the potential for the Hunga Tonga eruption to have a cooling effect on the climate due to the release of sulfur dioxide, although it is considered minimal compared to other sources of climate change.

💡Mount Pinatubo

Mount Pinatubo is a volcano in the Philippines that had a major eruption in 1991. The script uses it as a comparative example to illustrate the scale of volcanic eruptions and their temporary cooling effect on the atmosphere, which is relevant to understanding the potential impact of the Hunga Tonga eruption.

💡Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming by trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. The script mentions that while volcanoes emit carbon dioxide, the amount released by the Hunga Tonga eruption is minimal compared to human-produced emissions, emphasizing the relative insignificance of this source in the context of climate change.

💡NASA study

A NASA study, as referenced in the script, provides scientific context and data regarding the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by volcanic eruptions compared to human activities. This study is used to illustrate the relative impact of the Hunga Tonga eruption on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Highlights

A massive explosion from the Hunga Tonga volcano in the South Pacific Ocean was captured by weather satellites on Friday.

The explosion produced a shockwave that traveled around the entire planet.

Most of the Hunga Tonga volcano is underwater, which likely contributed to the explosion's intensity as water seeped into the magma chamber and vaporized.

Boulder Professor Brian Toon explains the volcanic eruption launched water vapor, ash, and gases up to 18 miles into the atmosphere.

The key gas emitted by the volcano is sulfur dioxide, which can impact climate when it changes into sulfuric acid droplets in the sunlight.

Sulfuric acid droplets from volcanic eruptions can reflect sunlight back to space, leading to temporary cooling of the Earth.

The 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption cooled the atmosphere by about 1 degree Fahrenheit for over a year.

The recent eruption of Hunga Tonga is not significant enough to the climate to be noticeable to people.

Careful measurements may show slight cooling in short-term temperature data due to the eruption, but it is not expected to be significant.

Volcanoes also emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, but its impact on warming the atmosphere is minimal compared to other sources.

A NASA study shows the CO2 from the Mount Pinatubo eruption is equal to the amount humans produce twice every day.

The concentration of CO2 from the Hunga Tonga eruption would hardly be noticeable in the atmosphere.

Meteorologist Corey Reppenhagen reported on the Hunga Tonga eruption and its potential climate impacts.

The Hunga Tonga eruption is not of significant interest to the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at present.

The study of volcanic eruptions' impact on climate is crucial for understanding short-term and long-term climate changes.

The comparison between the Hunga Tonga eruption and the Mount Pinatubo eruption highlights the varying scales of volcanic events and their climate effects.

The transcript emphasizes the need for continued research into the complex relationship between volcanic activity and global climate patterns.