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There have been a lot of mysteries lying around the climatic impact of the 2022 Hunga Tonga volcano eruption.

There was initial speculation that it might account for the extreme global warmth in 2023 and 2024.

However, new research from a collaborative team featuring Texas A&M University atmospheric scientist Dr. Andrew Dessler revealed that the eruption actually contributed to cooling the Earth, similar to other major volcanic events.

The research said that, historically, large volcanic eruptions have had significant cooling effects on the global climate by blocking sunlight with their aerosols.

The remarkable two-day event, which occurred in mid-January 2022, injected vast amounts of volcanic aerosols and water vapor into the atmosphere.

Historically, large volcanic eruptions, like Tambora in 1815 and Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, have had significant cooling effects on the global climate by blocking sunlight with their aerosols.

However, Hunga Tongas eruption presented a unique scenario: As a submarine volcano, it introduced an unprecedented amount of water vapor into the stratosphere, increasing total stratospheric water content by about 10%.

Because water vapor is a powerful greenhouse gas, the eruption cooled the Earth.

Their researchers analyzed satellite data observations of aerosols and water vapor, among other variables, to estimate the energy balance of the Earths climate system.

Their analysis revealed that the eruption resulted in more energy leaving the climate system than entering it, thereby inducing a slight cooling effect.

Our paper casts doubt on the explanation that the eruption caused the extreme warmth of 2023 and 2024, Dessler explained. Instead, we need to focus primarily on greenhouse gases from human activities as the main cause of the warming, with a big assist from the ongoing El Nio.

According to Dessler, this research has important implications for both scientists and the general public.

By dismissing the volcanic eruption as a major factor in the recent warming, the teams study reinforces his point that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of climate change.

This focus is particularly relevant, given the ongoing debate and misinformation about the causes of global warming.

Moreover, the study underscores the importance of continued investment in satellite-based stratospheric measurements.

While this paper answers several important questions, Dessler acknowledges that it simultaneously introduces new ones.

For instance, the researchers highlighted some unresolved issues related to the Hunga Tonga eruption, such as the unexpectedly low levels of sulfur dioxide produced by such a violent eruption and the minimal impact the eruption had on the 2023 ozone hole.

The 2023 ozone hole refers to a significant thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica, which allows more harmful UV radiation to reach the Earths surface.Additionally, the persistence of water vapor in the stratosphere beyond what was predicted by models suggests that there is still much to learn about stratospheric circulation processes.

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Kapil Kajal Kapil Kajal is an award-winning journalist with a diverse portfolio spanning defense, politics, technology, crime, environment, human rights, and foreign policy. His work has been featured in publications such as Janes, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, Rest of World, Mongabay, and Nikkei. Kapil holds a dual bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronics, and Communication Engineering and a masters diploma in journalism from the Institute of Journalism and New Media in Bangalore.

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Aerosols, water vapor from Tonga eruption cooled Earth, researchers say - Interesting Engineering