1) Please cite source for above.
2) According to the USGS,
Volcanic Gases and their effects
Comparison of CO2 emissions from volcanoes vs. human activities. Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1992). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO2 by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes per year (24 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al., 1998) - The reference gives the amount of released carbon (C), rather than CO2.]. Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 13.2 million tonnes/year)!
3) SO2 in the upper atmosphere IS NOT A GREENHOUSE GAS. It forms Sulfuric acid droplets that reflect sunlight and COOL the earth.
4) Thus the primary effect of large volcanic eruptions is to COOL the earth for several years. The cooling of the SO2 overwhelms the warming of the CO2 they inject (and as noted, this amount of CO2 is far less than that of human activity.
5) What exactly motivates people to post on subjects they know absolutely nothing about? Been trying to understand this on FR for years.
There are many dozens of active volcanos around the world today.
And very few large eruptions recently. Last decent one was Pinatubo in 1991. Absence of such eruptions could be contributing some to recent warmer global temperatures.
Thanks for the facts. We need to try to stop looking like knee-jerk idiots.
When it hits the "streets" it is sure to cause huge controversy, so, no matter which GW camp your in (manmade vs. natural) you'll want to have seen it.
I'm not looking for a fight - just answers. You seem to know what you are talking about. I posed a question my post #5 above. Do you have an answer?
I have a doctorial degree - altho not in a "hard science" - but I read alot about this. I respectfully seek your response.
Thanks
I would challenge that, not the land part but the submarine volcanoes, there's just no way land and ocean volcanoes put out equal amounts of CO2. The ocean volcanoes put out a lot more.
That study was done 15 years ago in 1992 (See the footnotes, there was no actual study in 1999), since then we discovered a hell of a lot more volcanic activity going on beneath the oceans, especially in the last couple of years.
For some recent examples see http://www.iceagenow.com/Ocean_Warming.htm
2 notable ones
Hydrothermal "Megaplume" Found in Indian Ocean
An enormous hydrothermal "megaplume" found in the Indian Ocean serves as a dramatic reminder that underwater volcanoes likely play an important role in shaping Earth's ocean systems, scientists report. The plume, which stretches some 43.5 miles (70 kilometers) long, appears to be active on a previously unseen scale. "In a nutshell, this thing is at least 10 times—or possibly 20 times—bigger than anything of its kind that's been seen before,"
And
The Fiery Face of the Arctic Deep
The Gakkel ridge is a gigantic volcanic mountain chain stretching beneath the Arctic Ocean. With its deep valleys 5,500 meter beneath the sea surface and its 5,000 meter high summits, Gakkel ridge is far mightier than the Alps..........one of the strongest hydrothermal activities ever seen at mid-ocean ridges were found.
And of course there's always the mid-Atlantic ridge which I would bet puts out many times more by itself than all the land based volcanoes combined.
With all these new discoveries of underwater volcanoes it's not hard to picture that 20x or 150x man made vs volcanic gap being closed if not exceeded. As of now, nobody can say either way so I wouldn't conceded this argument to the Liberals just yet.
I sailed on a ship that was heavily ashed upon by Pinatubo.
(although not while I was aboard)
I was told it was a real mess cleaning the 1 to 2 feet deep ash off the decks. 100 psi 2-1/2 inch fire hoses just made the stuff act like wet cement.
I passed a sample of the ash on to Oregon State University.
Strategerist> ...Emissions of CO2 by human activities,
including fossil fuel burning, cement production,
and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes
per year (24 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al.,
1998) - The reference gives the amount of released
carbon (C), rather than CO2.].
Released CARBON, not co2. Much of the carbon falls out of the atmosphere (via rain) and is also absorbed by the oceans, which btw cover about 3/4 of the earth’s surface. Sand in the earth’s many vast deserts also absorb carbon
and co2.
Still in all, I’m waiting for ‘AlGore’ and his power grabers in the U.N. to explain how they differentiate between natural and man made co2 producation. And again, if co2 is heavier than oxygen and nitrogen, how does it reamin abouve us to act as a ‘greenhouse gas’??
btw... so2 indeed reflects sunlight, but it also traps heat....much of which is produced by vlocanic activity, above and below the earth.
The earth is a gigantic ball of ‘lava’...with a thin crust. Do you think its just possible that the earth can produce any heat of its own?? Do you really think this emission of heat is constant from century to century? More than a dozen ice-ages that have come and gone on their own say.. ‘NO’.