Science

50 million tons of water vapor from Tonga’s eruption could warm the earth for years

The underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha
Written by adrina

More than eight months after the underwater volcano erupted near Tonga on January 14, scientists are still analyzing the effects of the massive blast and discovering it could warm the planet.

Recently, researchers calculated that the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apa eruption ejected a staggering 50 million metric tons (45 million metric tons) of water vapor into Earth’s atmosphere, in addition to copious amounts of ash and volcanic gases. That massive steam injection increased the amount of moisture in the global stratosphere by about 5% and could trigger a cycle of stratospheric cooling and surface warming — and those effects could continue for months, according to a new study.

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