Study: Global Warming Hiatus Caused By Small Volcanic Eruptions

Scientists around the world are at a loss, trying to explain why the global temperatures have not risen according to predictions based on climate models. A number of explanations have been put forth and this includes natural ocean cycles, declining sunspots and even Chinese coal plant emissions. However according to recent studies conducted by scientists under the aegis of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory say that small volcanic eruptions have helped cause a “pause” in global warming over the last 15 years.

Scientists explain that when volcanoes erupt they throw out tons of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere which have a cooling effect. A series of small but significant eruptions in the 21^st century can be attributed to at least one third of the so called pause in global warming.

Benjamin Santer, LLNL scientist and lead author of the study, said in a statement, “This new work shows that the climate signals of late 20th- and early 21st-century volcanic activity can be detected in a variety of different observational data sets.”

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Melissa Gansler

Melissa calls herself Poet, essayist, and naturalist. Graduated from the University of Michigan, Melissa holds a degree in Literature. Besides English, she can also speak Chinese, German, French.