Volcanic eruptions, even those that occurred in the second half of the 20th century, have significantly slowed global warming, a Russian scientist said on Thursday.
"Volcanic eruptions probably caused cooling in the mid-20th century", Alexander Ginzburg said, adding that without the eruptions "warming could have been more marked."
"Between 1958 and 1992, volcanic eruptions caused a reduction in the average temperature from 0.2-0.3 degrees Celsius every year," Ginzburg said.
The scientist said the impact a volcano has on the atmosphere depends on the type of material it emits. During its 1991 eruption, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines emitted 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, which effectively slowed the suns rays.
Recent eruptions from the Icelandic Eyjafjallajokull volcano will not have a strong influence on the climate because the volcano ejected mostly volcanic ash and dust, which do not reach the upper layers of the atmosphere.
MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti)
