Volcanic

Volcanic Impacts on Climate

Future large tropical volcanic eruptions will affect climate globally, inducing changes that are superimposed on anthropogenic climate change. Understanding how volcanic eruptions affect global climate is therefore critically important.

Volcan Licancabur - Chilean Altiplano

In our research on volcanic impacts on climate we relies primarily on modeling efforts focused on the Last Millennium to investigate how volcanic eruptions affect climate worldwide. In past research led by Chris Colose we have focused on the impacts of volcanic eruptions on tropical South American climate and how hemispherically asymmetric aerosol forcing affects tropical hydroclimate by shifting the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) away from the hemisphere with greater volcanic forcing. We also presented first results on how such asymmetries in radiative forcing due to volcanic aerosols are reflected in stable water isotopologues, by employing isotope-enabled climate models in this research.

On Volcan Lascar following eruption - Chilean Altiplano

More recent efforts, led by Ernesto Tejedor, have taken advantage of Paleo Data Assimilation products, such as PHYDA and LMR to investigate the global temperature and hydroclimate response to volcanic eruptions during the Last Millennium.

1993 Eruption of Volcan Lascar as seen from El Laco Iron Mine - Chilean Andes

Our work suggests that these large volcanic eruptions in the past produced significant departures in hydroclimate over tropical regions, many of which persisted for more than a decade in some regions. The persistence of the anomalies is associated with southward shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and sea surface temperature changes in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Our research further indicates that the proxy-constrained data assimilation estimates are larger and more persistent than the responses simulated by climates models such as CESM. Understanding which of these estimates is more realistic is critical for accurately characterizing the hydroclimate risks of future volcanic eruptions. Learn More.

Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University at Albany, SUNY
ETEC Bldg. - Harriman Campus, 1220 Washington Ave.,
Albany, NY 12226, USA

Laguna Lejia with Volcanoes Aguas Calientes and Pili in background - Chilean Altiplano

Volcanic Impacts on Climate

Future large tropical volcanic eruptions will affect climate globally, inducing changes that are superimposed on anthropogenic climate change. Understanding how volcanic eruptions affect global climate is therefore critically important.