Scientists have finally solved the long-standing mystery of why the Earth’s atmosphere turned blue nearly 200 years ago. The color change has been attributed to a massive volcanic eruption in 1831 as massive amounts of sulfur dioxide were blasted into the atmosphere, causing global cooling and forcing our planet to host some strange climate conditions that year.
A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) have found that the Zavoritsky volcano on the remote, uninhabited island of Simushir – now a disputed territory between Russia and Japan – was ground zero of the eruption that changed the planet.
Scientists at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, analyzed ice core records of the 1831 event to confirm their findings. He noted that there were no written records of direct observation from the 1831 eruption because the island on which the eruption occurred is remote and remains largely uninhabited.
“The moment in the laboratory when we analyzed two ashes together, one from a volcano and one from an ice core, was a real eureka moment,” study co-author Will Hutchison said in a statement.
“We analyzed the chemistry of the ice at very high temporal resolution. This allowed us to pinpoint the exact time of the eruption in the spring-summer of 1831, confirmed that it was highly explosive, and then discovered small amounts of ash. Could have taken the pieces out,” Mr Hutchison added.
While the team solves the mystery of the 1831 eruption and its impact on the Sun, Mr Hutchinson said they still have no instruments indicating volcanic activity on the remote island.
“If this eruption had happened today, I don’t think we would be in much better shape than we were in 1831. It just shows how difficult it will be to predict when and where the next big climate-changing eruption will come.”
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massive volcanic eruption
1831 was not the only time a volcanic eruption had a global impact. In 1815, the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia caused no heat on the planet for a year. The eruption released 24 cubic miles of gases, dust and rocks into the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to drop, eventually cooling the Northern Hemisphere by 1 degree Celsius.
Scientists have warned there is a one in six chance that a similar volcanic eruption will occur this century that could disrupt life on the planet.
The economic consequences of a massive eruption could be staggering, with losses potentially reaching trillions. Furthermore, any cooling effect would be transitory, with the planet soon returning to its warming path due to ongoing greenhouse gas emissions.
