Notes

Particles of dust and ash: Volcanic ash or dust released into the atmosphere during an eruption shade sunlight and cause temporary cooling. Larger particles of ash have little effect because they fall out of the air quickly. Small ash particles form a dark cloud in the troposphere that shades and cools the area directly below. Most of these particles fall out of the atmosphere within rain a few hours or days after an eruption. But the smallest particles of dust get into the stratosphere and are able to travel vast distances, often worldwide. These tiny particles are so light that they can stay in the stratosphere for months, blocking sunlight and causing cooling over large areas of the Earth.

Sulfur: Often, erupting volcanoes emit sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide is much more effective than ash particles at cooling the climate. The sulfur dioxide moves into the stratosphere and combines with water to form sulfuric acid aerosols. The sulfuric acid makes a haze of tiny droplets in the stratosphere that reflects incoming solar radiation, causing cooling of the Earth’s surface. The aerosols can stay in the stratosphere for up to three years, moved around by winds and causing significant cooling worldwide. Eventually, the droplets grow large enough to fall to Earth.

Greenhouse gases: Volcanoes also release large amounts of greenhouse gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide. The amounts put into the atmosphere from a large eruption doesn't change the global amounts of these gases very much. However, there have been times during Earth history when intense volcanism has significantly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and caused global warming.

IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Global Climate Models tend to have grid spacing most nearly 10 km x 10 km
Global Forecast Models tend to have grid spacing most nearly 100 m x 100 m

Dendochronology: The science or technique of dating events, environmental change, and archaeological artifacts by using the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in timber and tree trunks.

Most Abundant Greenhouse Gasses: Water vapor (H2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Ozone (O3)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Hydrofluorocarbons (incl. HCFCs and HFCs

cirrostratus: halos may form
lenticular: may be confused with UFOs
nimbostratus: associated with steady precipitation
cirrocumulus: has fish scale-like small clouds
mammatus: baglike; hangs on the undersides of a cloud
cumulus humilis: usually forms and disperses within 40 minutes
cirrus: exhibits “mare’s tails”
cumulonimbus: has a distinctive anvil top


Virga: rain falling from a cloud that evaporates before it hits the ground