Answer»
- Large volcanic eruptions can cause global climate change and EVEN be responsible for mass extinctions.
- MAJOR eruptions in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia have a disproportionate effect on global climate, due to the LOW troposphere elevation at these latitudes, and the ease of dispersal of ash, AEROSOL, and gas.
- Most mass extinctions during the last 500 million years coincide with eruptions of large igneous provinces. The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction was synchronous with the Deccan flood volcanism.
- There is a positive feedback between glacial variability and atmospheric CO2 concentrations: glaciation increases volcanic eruptions, raises atmospheric
- CO2, and causes more glaciation. Conversely, waning volcanic activity during an interglacial could lead to a reduction in CO2 and the onset of an ice age.
|