Volcanic eruptions durably impact North Atlantic climate
Monday, March 30, 2015 - 08:00
in Earth & Climate
Particles emitted during major volcanic eruptions cool the atmosphere due to a 'parasol' effect that reflects sunlight. The direct impact of these particles in the atmosphere is fairly short, lasting two to three years. However, they alter for more than 20 years the North Atlantic Ocean circulation, which connects surface and deep currents and influences the climate in Europe. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers from the CNRS, IRD, CEA and Météo‐France who combined, for the first time, climate simulations, recent oceanographic data, and information from natural climate records. Their findings are published in Nature Communications on March 30th.