| Volcanoes cause changes in the weather on Earth. Dust clouds from
large eruptions block out the sunlight and making the temperature
colder. It is hard to believe, but the gasses and fine dust particles
called tephra can drift all the way around the world and put a sort
of dust veil over the earth. This dust veil reflects more sunlight
back into outerspace and the earth becomes cooler. The cooler temperatures
stay around for several years or more. |
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Sometimes El Nino winds that blow only in the Pacific Ocean stops
the temperature change that happens when large eruptions occur. The
El Nino winds are cooler than normal and blow from the west to the
east. This happened in 1982 when the volcano
El Chichon erupted in Mexico. |
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| During an eruption the gas sulfur dioxide is released from the volcano
along with the dust and rock fragments. This is called vog, a smog
of acid rain, instead of fog. Vog causes breathing problems and acid
rain that damages plants and corrodes metal. Fresh water supplies
can also be contaminated by acid rain and other chemicals like lead
that is in the vog cloud. |
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