Volcano Estimates
Early scientific estimates were that 50 million tons of water were spewed into the stratosphere by the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underground volcano.
Capable of shutting down by a factor of 3.
New research shows 150 million tons or nearly 40 trillion gallons… https://t.co/BEnfFL2bEr twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
The 40 trillion gallons of water vapor in the stratosphere represents an unprecedented amount being pumped into the stratosphere.
Volcanic eruptions like Pinatubo blow SO2 into the stratosphere creating a cool climate layer for 1-2 years.
However, Hunga Tonga has only 2% SO2 as Pinatubo but contains a huge amount of water vapor, which is known for its ability to warm the Earth. The question is how much?
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens using GOES imagery provided by NOAA and NESDIS
Global warming caused by Hunga-Tonga is very significant.
The Hunga-Tonga eruption increased the volume of water vapor in the stratosphere by 13%, and it will remain there for many years to come.
“The unique nature and magnitude of the global stratospheric perturbation resulting from the Hunga eruption classifies it as The most notable climate events in the modern era of observation.”
Earlier in March 2023, scientists reported the possibility of warming caused by volcanism spewing water vapor into the stratosphere pushing the Earth closer to the 1.5°C threshold of the Paris Agreement.
Based on the past few months, it appears that the effect of 🌋 on global temperatures may have been underestimated.
It’s easy to run a radiation transmission model to determine the impact of adding 150 million tons of water to the stratosphere. However, detailed climate model simulations are needed to untangle atmospheric circulation changes that lead to non-linear responses.
The climate is “abnormal” right now, beyond the evolving El Niño and underlying climate change.
on global temperatures may have been underestimated. It’s easy to run a radiation transmission model to determine the impact of adding 150 million tons of water to the stratosphere. However, detailed climate model simulations are needed to untangle atmospheric circulation changes that lead to non-linear responses. The climate is “abnormal” right now, beyond the evolving El Niño and underlying climate change. https://eos.org/articles/tonga
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