Volcanic aerosol clouds and gases lead to ozone destruction
EurekAlert! News ^ | November 8, 2006 | Staff

Posted on 11/10/2006 5:58:53 PM PST by DaveLoneRanger

Volcanic eruptions destroy ozone and create 'mini-ozone holes', according to two new studies by researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

The new research, spearheaded by Dr Genevieve Millard at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, discovered that volcanic gases released during eruptions accelerate reactions that lead to ozone destruction. The researchers found that even relatively small volcanic eruptions can destroy ozone and create localised 'holes' in the stratosphere.

Previously, scientists had concentrated on the climatic effects of the tiny particles of volcanic sulphate created from the sulphur dioxide gas emitted during an eruption. For the first time, analyzing data from a 2000 eruption of the Hekla volcano, Iceland, the researchers discovered that volcanic gases may also lead to the formation of ice and nitric acid particles. This is a critical finding as these particles 'switch on' volcanic chlorine gases, (CFC’s Freon R-12 and R-14 that was used in air conditioning and refrigeration and aerosol cans.) accelerating reactions that lead to ozone destruction. (The cans of hair spray etc. refrigerators and ac units disbursal of CFC’s remained at ground levels. It was well known before the 1980’s of the volcanic production of CFC’s. And it was also well known that volcanic eruptions were jetting these CFC’s 20 –40 miles up into the upper atmosphere. At the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (Sp?) in the Philippines in that single eruption more CFC’s were discharged than all the Freon that had been made worldwide since the 1940’s. And unlike the CFC’s men make the great majority of this went directly into the upper atmosphere. If indeed CFC’s were eating the ozone layer like candy and that a single molecule does not dissapate but just keeps eating ozone – then pray tell why is there any Ozone at all? The answer is that CFC’s are also destroyed continually. The effects that happen in the upper atmosphere do not by nature happen in test tubes.)

Dr Millard said, "We have shown for the first time that volcanic eruptions which penetrate the stratosphere can lead to the formation of the type of clouds that promote reactions with volcanic chlorine gases - gases that destroy stratospheric ozone and lead to the formation of 'mini-ozone holes'." (We repeat that these exact scientific findings were well known over a decade ago – and actually were read from various publications over and over again for almost a decade on the Rush Limbaugh show.)

The ozone losses due to the small eruption at Hekla lasted for about two weeks, and eventually returned to normal levels. This is the first time that people have observed the complete removal of local ozone following a volcanic eruption. (The reason undoubtedly is that volcanoes tend to be in remote uninhabited places rather than next to scientific institutes. – this also demonstrates that the banning of Freon was a straw dog as Kyoto emission treaty also has been. The issues in both were money – It has been reported that the real story behind all this was that Union Carbide who owned the patents on Freon had a problem in the 1980’s, their patents were running out on this substance, and that every third world country would begin manufacturing it cheaper and royalty free. – So to preserve their bottom line Union Carbide sunk millions into a campaign and research to ban their own invention so no one could use it. And in so doing at least in the westernized world they were able to mandate through government regulation the exclusive use of their replacement substance for Freon. This was one of the last major business coups of the twentieth century that was used to flim-flam liberals and environmentalists with their own junk science to give mandated federal protections to a petro-chemical company they otherwise reviled. And so they feverishly worked thinking they were saving the environment to instead they were lining the pockets of Union Carbide with billions of dollars over the next 40 years.)

"Now we want to find out what might happen to the ozone layer after a much larger eruption," said Dr David Pyle, University of Oxford, project coordinator. "For example, is there significant loss of ozone and increased ultra-violet radiation at low latitudes following large explosive eruptions? (He is asking why why do these indestructible CFC’s dissipate when according to their studies just one major eruption should destroy all the ozone for half a continent creating giant everlasting ozone holes?) We want to understand this, so that we can have a better picture both of what might have happened in the past, and of what may happen in the future".