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| Eyjafjallajokull |
PETM: Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maxium - a period of time 55 million years ago when temperatures were unusually warm
plume: debris spouted from a volcano during explosion
Summary:
On April 14, 2010, the supposedly dormant volcano in Iceland, Eyjafjallajokull, spouted debris miles into the sky. By examining the lava, the Icelandic Meteorological Office discerned that this volcano erupted intensely, with a burst of lava and a cloud of plume. The colossal clouds produced fired questions of the effect of volcanoes on global warming.
To explore the effect of volcanoes on the environment, scientists went back to the PETM when dinosaurs went extinct. They examined zircon crystals in cores samples and dated them to the period when the PETM began. Scientists concluded that these crystals were formed by underwater volcano eruptions; these eruptions could react with carbon rich sedimentary and produce methane, a greenhouse gas. Following eruptions around the world will be inevitable, and if they truly contribute to global warming, another period with the conditions of the PETM can commence.
Discussion:
This topic stood out to me because it is amazing how a simple topic like volcanoes can effect global warming. This is unique from other causes to global warming because volcanoes are completely natural with no artificial elements or influences. It is inevitable that volcanoes around the world are going to explode and if we want to reduce their impact on the government, we have to find innovative methods around it. One challenge in coping with a volcano is the plume and other particles that it produces. This can malfunction equipment such as probes and prevent planes or other machines from coming near.
Questions:
How do ash particles obstruct systems of transportation such as planes?
Do the molecule structures of debris from the volcano resemble in anyway the molecules of greenhouse gases?
Resources:
Article:
"Iceland's Eruption." Science Online. Facts on File, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2010.
<http://www.fofweb.com/Science/default.asp>
Picture
http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/galleries/images/55841/500x400/icelands-eyjafjallajokull-volcano-lava-fired.jpg
