posted on Aug, 21 2012 @ 05:43 AM
Originally posted by MountainEnigma
reply to post by Aromaz
Okay, I am not a vulcanologist or geologist or even close. Can you please explain how large amounts of sulfur spewed into the stratosphere can cause
great catastrophe? How does it affect our weather?
It would generate what's called a Volcanic Winter if the amount is big enough, cutting us from the sunlight for a certain period of time. Everything
below a VEI 7 wouldn't be that bad but a VEI 8 or even a big VEI 7 could trigger a small Ice Age and this in a very aggressive way.
A Big VEI 8 (above 2 000 km3 ejected tephra with the needed sulphur pumped up in the stratosphere) could possible cut us off from the sunlight for a
couple of years. Some scientists believe a decade isn't to be excluded.
Some scientists tried to make models of what could happen, globally but it's not easy to see the big picture as it would affect the entire planet.
Sunlight not heating up the oceans and seas could have a huge impact on streams, currents, gulf stream and so on. No "normal" sunlight would affect
dramaticaly crops and animal stocks and so on and so on.
Lucky us those big events don't happen often.
Will they happen again? Sure
Will you, me, our chlidren or our grand chlidren witness one of those cataclysm? No