Posted by
Catmman on Saturday, January 06, 2007 8:59:41 AM
I read a earlier post about volcanoes and didn't want to just make a comment, but reply with a few more facts about the subject. Forgive me but this is a long posting.
I consider myself a volcanological hobbyist; I have no degrees, no fancy scientific titles, etc. I do however have some firsthand knowledge about volcanoes and the destructions they cause. I am also enfused with an abundance of common sense. I am in the AF and was stationed at Clark AB in the Philippines when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991. From June 12 of that year until November 17th when I finally left the Philippines (after we had to close Clark), I witnessed the volcano erupt dozens of times. Of those eruptions perhaps three dozen were large and of those perhaps 6 were gigantic with the one total eruption which destroyed the mountain on June 15th.
I witnessed the TOTAL environmental damage of the surrounding countryside due to these eruptions - the complete destruction of the jungle and vegetation around the volcano for several hundred square miles. The damage which continues to this day caused by Lahars (mudflows) after it rains. The death of livestock and people, hundreds of thousands of animals and several hundred people. Additionally the latent physical damage to people exposed to the ash. Skin, hair, eye and respiratory problems. I lost 25% of my lung capacity as a result of working in around ashfal and getting caught in a few "ash-outs" (like an ash blizzard - blotting out all light and most air) After one ash out in particular, I will never forget coughing and vomiting up volcanic ash from my lungs and stomach since I had inhaled so much of it! Not to mention the latent tissue damage caused by volcanic gasses.
Anyway, the gist of the post is that humans are responsible for more CO2 emissions than volcanoes - ergo humans bad. Some figures are given. Again, I'm no rocket surgeon, but lets examine some other gasses. CO2 is the focus of the post, but there are many others which volcanoes release. Credit the USGS for most of the following info.
The most abundant gasses release from eruptions are water vapor (H2O, carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (S02). Volcanoes also release smaller amounts of others gases, including hydrogen sulfide (H2S), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen chloride (HCL), hydrogen fluoride (HF), and helium (He).
The volcanic gases that pose the greatest potential hazard are sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen flouride. Locally, sulfur dioxide gas can lead to acid rain and air pollution downwind from a volcano. Globally, large explosive eruptions that inject a tremendous volume of sulfur aerosols into the stratosphere can lead to lower surface temperatures and promote depletion of the Earth's ozone layer. Because carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air, the gas may flow into in low-lying areas and collect in the soil. The concentration of carbon dioxide gas in these areas can be lethal to people, animals, and vegetation.
The effects of SO2 on people and the environment vary widely depending on (1) the amount of gas a volcano emits into the atmosphere; (2) whether the gas is injected into the troposphere or stratosphere; and (3) the regional or global wind and weather pattern that disperses the gas. Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas with a pungent odor that irritates skin and the tissues and mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat. Sulfur dioxide chiefly affects upper respiratory tract and bronchi. The sulfur aerosols ejected during the eruption of Mt. Pinotubo resulted in a 0.5-0.6°C cooling of the Earth's surface in the Northern Hemisphere.
Measurements from recent eruptions such as Mount St. Helens, Washington (1980), El Chichon, Mexico (1982), and Mount Pinatubo, Philippines (1991), clearly show the importance of sulfur aerosols in modifying climate, warming the stratosphere, and cooling the troposphere. Research has also shown that the liquid drops of sulfuric acid promote the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. (Hmm - seems sulfur arysols are worse that CO2.)
Chlorine gas is emitted from volcanoes in the form of hydrochloric acid (HCl). Exposure to the gas irritates mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract. Concentrations over 35 ppm cause irritation of the throat after short exposure; >100 ppm results in pulmonary edema, and often laryngeal spasm. It also causes acid rain downwind from volcanoes because HCl is extremely soluble in condensing water droplets and it is a very "strong acid" (it dissociates extensively to give H+ ions in the droplets).
Fluorine is a pale yellow gas that attaches to fine ash particles, coats grass, and pollutes streams and lakes. Exposure to this powerful caustic irritant can cause conjunctivitis, skin irritation, bone degeneration and mottling of teeth. Excess fluorine results in a significant cause of death and injury in livestock during ash eruptions. Even in areas that receive just a millimeter of ash, poisoning can occur where the fluorine content of dried grass exceeds 250 ppm. Animals that eat grass coated with fluorine-tainted ash are poisoned. Small amounts of fluorine can be beneficial, but excess fluorine causes fluorisis, an affliction that eventually kills animals by destroying their bones. It also promotes acid rain effects downwind of volcanoes, like HCl.
Now to brass tacks. The poster is correct and the USGS states the same that volcanoes do not release as much CO2 annually as humans, however: The human numbers are recent estimates. Even if you add all CO2 emitted by man since the dawn of time, it would not result in the amount of harmful gasses volcanoes have released since the creation of the planet. Humans have been industrialized for only a few hundred years, burning fossil fuels for less time than that. Volcanoes have been belching for 4 1/5 billion years, yet the planet somehow seemed to sustain life - amazing!
Volcanoes can be accurately measured as to immediate effects on global climate, human activity cannot. As the paragraph above states, Mt. Pinatubo lowered global temps by the numbers stated for about 18 months. What was the corresponding temperature rise during that same time from human induced CO2 emission? Obviously not enough since the one volcano LOWERED global temps. How about the Tambora eruption of 1815. This eruption was so large it caused the "Year without a Summer". Crops in North America and Europe failed. It snowed in New York in July. Some scientists believe this eruption was a major environmental catalyst to the Irish potato famine. Global temps dropped and dropped significantly after Tambora. All the wood and coal burning of that era didn't do one thing to stop it.
The scientific evidence about volcanic eruptions effect on global temps and the environment is measurable; you can find it in the fossil record, ice cores, recent and continuous volcano study, etc. Human induced "climate change" has none of the aforementioned aspects going for it. Even good old fashioned common sense can help us here. Global warming proponents like computer models. The only problem I have with this is that my weatherman can't tell me with any degree of certaintly how cold/hot it's going to be next week; why would I believe anyone telling me how cold/hot it's going to be in 100 years?
One more thing. Humans have adapted to living with the environmental impact of volcanoes. If for the sake of argument we are responsible for "global warming/cooling (use whichever term gets us the most government grant money), why can't we adapt to that to? Do climate alarmists really think humans are capable of destroying the planet? An asteroid probably killed all the dinosaurs, yet life found a way and survived.
I like to give the human race more credit. I for one am humble in the face of creation. I don't believe for one minute we are capable of what the alarmists claim.
Lastly, leave me alone and let me drive my car. If you really want to complain about environmental damage or burning fossil fuel, complain to the Chinese - they use more than anyone on the planet.