Volcanoes and Climate Change Essay -- Geology Global Warming

Missing Graphics Volcanoes and Climate Change Introduction: Since the beginning of time, volcanoes have been wreaking havoc on the world, as we know it. Yet in the more recent times, there has been a great amount of debate regarding the effect of volcanic eruptions on world climate change. In this report, the effects of these volcanoes will be explored, particularly in regards to cooling and the depletion of the ozone. Table of Contents: Introduction General Information on Volcanoes Effect of Volcanoes on Cooling Effect of Volcanoes on Ozone Depletion Specific Volcanic Eruptions and their Effects Debate over Connection between Volcanoes and Global Climate Change Works Cited General Information on Volcanoes: Volcanoes arise when magma, liquid rock within the earth, reaches the surface. Volcanoes then erupt because of their bouyancy and gas pressure. On account of this buoyancy, the hot liquid magma rises toward the surface through the more dense rock. Gas pressure from within the magma also exerts a force on the surrounding rock. This cracks the rock, located above the magma, and then moves into the crack. This process is repeated over and over again until the magma reaches the surface. There are a few different types of volcanoes, and each erupts a bit differently. Shield volcanoes usually produce a fountain of molten lava that reaches high into the air, anywhere from 10 to 500 meters. In some eruptions, though, there is little fountaining; in these the lava just flows slowly away from the vent. There are also more explosive volcanic eruptions in which the gas pressure builds until it is extremely high and the viscuous lava can no longer stand i... ...because these volcanoes are located in different areas of the world or because El Nino occured during the year of the eruption of El Chichon. All of these evidences are still being compiled and scrutinized in order to verify the true relation between volcanic eruptions and climate change. Works Cited: Angell, James. "Stratospheric Warming Following Volcanic Eruptions." http://capita.wustl.edu "The Effects of Volcanic Eruptions on Earth's Climate." http://www.geo.mtu.edu Garrett, Chris. "Global Cooling." http://tiger.chm.bris.ac.uk Mattox, Steve. "How are volcanoes born and what makes them erupt?" http://volcano.und.nodak.edu "NASA Facts." http://www.nasa.gov Rowland, Scott. "What happens when a volcano erupts?" http://volcano.und.nodak.edu "The Science of Climate Change: The Aerosol Effect." http://www.panda.org/resources/publications