Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com – New research examines the climate impact of the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, challenging existing assumptions about its effects.
The Hunga Tonga volcano, pictured during its eruption on January 14-15, 2022. Credit: Tonga Geological Services / ZUMA Press / Zuma / RÉA, Dr. Mark Schoeberl
Large volcanic eruptions, such as Tambora (1815) and Mt. Pinatubo (1991), have significantly cooled the global climate by releasing aerosols that block sunlight.
Hunga Tonga’s submarine eruption uniquely introduced vast amounts of water vapor into the stratosphere, increasing its total water content by about 10%.
Texas A&M University atmospheric scientist Dr. Andrew Dessler suggests water vapor, a potent greenhouse gas, was initially considered a possible cause for the extreme global warmth in 2023 and 2024. Instead, a new study reveals the opposite: The eruption actually contributed to cooling the Earth, similar to other major volcanic events.
“Our paper pours cold water on the explanation that the eruption caused the extreme warmth of 2023 and 2024,” Dessler explained in a press release.
“Instead, we need to focus primarily on greenhouse gases from human activities as the main cause of the warming, with a big assist from the ongoing El Niño.”
The study emphasizes that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are the main driver of climate change. This is especially relevant amid ongoing debates about global warming causes.
First author Dr. Mark Schoeberl, chief scientist at the Virginia-based Science and Technology Corporation in Hamburg, Virginia, emphasizes the need for ongoing investment in satellite-based stratospheric observations.
“Our understanding of the Hunga Tonga eruption is largely thanks to the investment in stratospheric satellite measurements by NOAA and NASA over the past two decades,” Schoeberl added. “However, we need to be cautious about a potential ‘stratospheric data desert,’ as some of the most critical instruments are not being replaced.”
The research also raises new questions, including the unexpectedly low sulfur dioxide levels from the Hunga Tonga eruption and its minimal impact on the 2023 ozone hole.
Paper
Written by Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com Staff Writer