Volcanic Eruptions and Climate

Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Brunswick NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This research is on the climatic effects of volcanic eruptions, focusing on the 1991 Pinatubo eruption. The PIs have produced an aerosol data set that they will employ for this study. The work will include organizing an international climate model intercomparison of Pinatubo simulations. They will conduct their own simulations using this data set and the GFDL SKYHI GCM. A by-product of this project would be a data set of stratospheric ozone changes following the Pinatubo eruption and a comparison of the radiative forcing due to the ozone changes to those of the aerosols. This research is important because it might lead to an improved understanding of the climatic effects of tropical volcanic eruptions