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The 1982 volcanic eruption of El Chichón in Mexico.

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Mt. St. Helens before & after

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By far the most important climatic effect from volcanoes is the production of atmospheric haze. Large eruption columns inject ash particles and sulfur-rich gases into the troposphere and stratosphere and these clouds can circle the globe within weeks of the volcanic activity.

The small ash particles decrease the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth and lower average global temperatures. The sulfurous gases combine with water in the atmosphere to form acidic aerosols that absorb incoming solar radiation and scatter it back out into space.

For a long time, scientists believed that it was a volcano’s stratospheric ash clouds that had the dominant effect on global temperatures. The 1982 eruption of El Chichón in Mexico, however, changed that view.

Only two years earlier, the major Mt. St. Helens eruption had lowered global temperatures by about 0.1 degree C. The much smaller eruption of El Chichón in contrast, had three to five times the global cooling effect worldwide. Despite its smaller ash cloud, El Chichón emitted more than 40 times the volume of sulfur-rich gases produced by Mt. St. Helens, which showed that the formation of atmospheric sulfur aerosols has a more substantial effect on global temperatures than only the volume of ash produced during an eruption.

Here's an interesting point: Some scientists believe that without the cooling effect of massive volcanic eruptions (like El Chichón and Mount Pinatubo), global warming effects caused by human activities would have been far more substantial.

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The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington, U.S.

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Volcanic eruptions produce acid rain by emitting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acid droplets or rain. Acid rain can harm or kill fish and other animals, along with crops and other vegetation.

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How are volcanoes formed & why do they erupt?

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How are volcanoes formed & why do they erupt?

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A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock called "magma" below the earth's surface.

Volcanoes erupt when pressure of the magma works its way to the surface and forms lava flows as well as ash deposits that can shoot high into the atmosphere.

Lava flows destroy everything in their path, often including buildings, roads, vehicles, and vegetation, although people are rarely killed because the flows move so slowly. The lava can cause burns and charred eyebrows, however, because of the extreme heat generated -- between 550 and 1400 degrees Celsius!

Volcano eruptions can also trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mud flows and rock falls, and lava temperatures can melt snow and ice packs, resulting in massive flooding.