Do volcanoes have any impact on global warming/Ozone depletion?

Question

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Answer 1

Not really. As far as ozone is concerned, volcanoes have no impact one way or the other.

With regard to global warming its a little more complicated. The global warming is caused by excess greenhouse gases (mainly CO2 released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels).

But hthere is a normal level of CO2 in the atmosphere--and we need it (plants require CO2 and with no plants, there'd be no animals--including us!). Some of that CO2 is produced by animals exhaling CO2. Some is produced by other natural processes--including the release of CO2 by erupting volcanos.

One of the "competing hypotheses" scientists looked at in the process of figuring out what the source of the excess greenhouse gases was was volcanoes. It turned out that didn't have much impact--because we have not had an unusual number of volcanic eruptions the past century or so. Just a normal level of activity.

If (hypothetically) we were to enter an active period worldwide of volcanic eruptions, it could make the global warming worse. Conversly, if we lucked out and had a dormant period, it would lessen the global warming--which would be good; it would give us more time to shift our technology to non-polluting methods of energy production. But there's no reason to thingk eiter will happen.

Answer 2

On global warming they have some effect in cooling the Earth.

People who say volcanoes release more greenhouse gases than man are very wrong. Actual data (websites below) shows volcanoes release far less. And volcanoes also release aerosols and particulate (solid) matter which blocks the sun , cooling the Earth. The last is more important and so volcanoes slow warming slightly.

http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/climate_effects.html

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/12/17/223957/72

This is science. You can't go by what your instinct says, or something you heard which may be just a lie, you need to look at the data.

Volcanoes have a small effect on ozone, but it's less than from other causes, like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/Gases/ozone.html

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/volcano.html

Answer 3

Volcano's are major contributors of CO2 into the atmosphere and have been blamed for the Permian extinction 300 million years age where 95% of life died off.
There is no correlation between CO2\global warming and ozone depletion.
Ozone levels fluctuate seasonally and have been increasing since the banning of CFC's

Answer 4

Volcanoes produce carbon dioxide (a lot of it) which is a greenhouse gas, so it could cause global warming. It also may produce vog (volcanic smog) and particulates that cause cloud formation. If this happens, it wll actually reflect sunlight and cause temporary cooling. It all depends on what comes out of that volcano. If sulfur comes out, it will cause acid rain!

It will have no effect on the ozone, however. I don't think it will even have effect on ground level ozone.

Answer 5

Volcanoes are huge contributors of atmospheric carbon dioxide exceeding man's contribution many times over. They have no effect upon ozone. Nor does the heat they produce have any effect on planet warming.

Answer 6

Global warming lets blame it on ------------. It is nit happening and we broke cold weather records,this is data that should give u a clue. Ozone layer is so high that nothing we do here is light enough to go very high. The ozone layer is at the very edge of space.

Answer 7

As an example, when Mount St Helen's erupted, it released more greenhouse gases in a few days than ALL mankind produced in 10 years.
Volcanoes should be outlawed or at least taxed.

Answer 8

Surprisingly enough they are not. The fumes and gases let off my volcanic erruptions are actual the Earth thermometer in a sense to release excess heat energy when there is a build up of pressure underneath the earth's surface. In most communities where volcanic moutains exist, the release is actual a cleanser to allow growth and production in the area, similar to sucession - as long as people arent killed in the process of course.