|
Some Important Eruptions
Mt. Pinatubo eruption plume, July 1991, from Clark Air Base control tower.
Photo by J.N. Marso, U.S. Geological Survey.
The effects of several historic eruptions have been observed and the impacts of
larger, prehistoric eruptions can be estimated.
Estimates of the fraction of sunlight transmitted through stratigraphic
aerosols after major eruptions. Roza refers to a flood basalt eruption in the
northwestern United States. Graph from Rampino and others (1988).
The following eruptions have been studied for the impact on global climate:
|
Toba, 75,000 years ago
|
|
Laki, Iceland, 1783
|
|
Tambora, Indonesia, 1815
|
|
Krakatau, 1886
|
|
El Chichon, Mexico, 1982
|
|
Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991
|
Impact of some major historic eruptions.
Eruption |
VEI |
Magma Volume (km3) |
Column height (km) |
H2SO4 aerosols (kg) |
Northern Hemisphere temperature decrease |
|
Laki, 1783 |
4 |
14-15 |
|
<1 x10 11 |
about 1.0 |
|
Tambora, 1815 |
7 |
>50 |
>40 |
2x10 11 |
0.4-0.7 |
|
Krakatau, 1883 |
6 |
>10 |
>40 |
5x10 10 |
0.3 |
|
Santa Maria, 1902 |
6 |
about 9 |
>30 |
<2x10 10 |
0.4 |
|
Katmai, 1912 |
6 |
15 |
>27 |
<2x10 10 |
0.2 |
|
St.Helens, 1980 |
5 |
0.35 |
22 |
3x10 8 |
0-0.1 |
|
Agung, 1963 |
4 |
0.3-0.6 |
18 |
1-2x10 10 |
0.3 |
|
El Chichon, 1982 |
4 |
0.3-0.35 |
26 |
1-2x10 10 |
0.4-0.6 |
Data from Rampino and Self, 1984.
Click here for the VEI (Volcano Explosivity Index) Table
Table from Francis (1993).
|
