19 Dec 2020
Suzanne Straub
The logarithmic volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of explosive volcanic eruptions is measured on a scale 0 to 7. While smaller eruptions like the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980 (VEI ~5.0) rarely affect the global climate, the VEI = 7 eruption of Mt Tambora in 1815 influence is famous for having affected the global climate for several years, causing famine and disease in the Northern Hemisphere (‘year without summer’). How frequent are such large eruptions, and do they have the potential to influence the waxing and waning of the Quaternary ice cycles, that shape the face of historic Earth? In the project we test this connection by analyzing a 2.6 million years old archive of past major volcanic eruptions (VEI ~6-7) that was left in form of ash beds in the marine sediment of the Northwest Pacific ocean basin.
Related resources:
Ocean Drilling Program Scientific Results Volume 145 (tamu.edu)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/us/kilauea-hawaii-volcano-eruption/index.html