2019/07/01 by Hans Brenna, Steffen Kutterolf, Kirstin Krüger · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Atmospheric Ozone and Climate #Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols #Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-45630-0
openalex publication_date 2019/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Large explosive tropical volcanic eruptions inject high amounts of gases into the stratosphere, where they disperse globally through the large-scale meridional circulation. There is now increasing observational evidence that volcanic halogens can reach the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Here, we present the first study that combines measurement-based data of sulfur, chlorine and bromine releases from tropical volcanic eruptions with complex coupled chemistry climate model simulations taking radiative-dynamical-chemical feedbacks into account. Halogen model input parameters represent a size-time-region-wide average for the Central American eruptions over the last 200 ka ensuring a comprehensive perspective. The simulations reveal global, long-lasting impact on the ozone layer affecting atmospheric composition and circulation for a decade. Column ozone drops below 220 DU (ozone hole conditions) in the tropics, Arctic and Antarctica, increasing biologically active UV by 80 to 400%. Our model results could potentially be validated using high-resolution proxies from ice cores and pollen records.