Global ozone depletion and increase of UV radiation caused by pre-industrial tropical volcanic eruptions
Large explosive tropical volcanic eruptions inject high amounts of gases into the stratosphere, where they disperse globally through the large-scale meridional circulation. There is now increasing observational evidence that volcanic halogens can reach the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. H...
| Published in: | Scientific Reports |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Research
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/47182/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/47182/1/s41598-019-46253-1.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/47182/2/s41598-019-45630-0.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45630-0 |
| Summary: | Large explosive tropical volcanic eruptions inject high amounts of gases into the stratosphere, where they disperse globally through the large-scale meridional circulation. There is now increasing observational evidence that volcanic halogens can reach the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Here, we present the first study that combines measurement-based data of sulfur, chlorine and bromine releases from tropical volcanic eruptions with complex coupled chemistry climate model simulations taking radiative-dynamical-chemical feedbacks into account. Halogen model input parameters represent a size-time-region-wide average for the Central American eruptions over the last 200 ka ensuring a comprehensive perspective. The simulations reveal global, long-lasting impact on the ozone layer affecting atmospheric composition and circulation for a decade. Column ozone drops below 220 DU (ozone hole conditions) in the tropics, Arctic and Antarctica, increasing biologically active UV by 80 to 400%. Our model results could potentially be validated using high-resolution proxies from ice cores and pollen records. |
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