Small volcanic eruptions may be responsible for slowing the effects of global warming since 2000, according to a
study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The small eruptions have been known to have a cooling effect for some time, but the new study shows they have a much greater impact than previously known,
Discovery.com reports. Aerosol particles ejected during the eruptions may slow the rate of global warming by as much as half, according to the report published in Geophysical Review Letters.
Volcanoes spit out sulfur dioxide, which becomes droplets of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere and blocks some sunlight, Discovery reported.
"Satellite observations of aerosol optical depth above 15 km have demonstrated that small-magnitude volcanic eruptions substantially perturb incoming solar radiation," the abstract of the report said.
Balloons, laser radar and ground-based measurements were used to make the findings.
About 12 small eruptions since 2000 have reduced the effects of greenhouse gas emissions by 0.005 to 0.12 degrees Celsius, the report said.
While the global warming rate has slowed, surface temperatures have risen over that same period, Discovery reported.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.