Question

Volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide spewed out of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. These materials can reflect incoming solar radiation. Over the next few years, what do you think happened?

Answer 1

The 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo led to a significant amount of volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide being released into the atmosphere, resulting in a reflection of solar radiation and a subsequent global cooling effect, lowering global temperatures by approximately 0.4 °C.

Step-by-step explanation:

After the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, which spewed volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, these materials reflected incoming solar radiation. As a result, in the following years, there was global cooling caused by these particles and gases in the atmosphere. Observations show that after the Pinatubo eruption, the SO₂ aerosols that were released reduced the amount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface, leading to a decrease in global temperatures by about 0.4 °C. Additionally, this volcanic winter significantly affected weather patterns and had implications on agriculture and ecosystems due to the cooler climate.

Answer 2

First local vegetation would die due to lack of sunlight, therefore lack of photosynthesis to support themselves. Then many of the animals and organisms would die due to lack of food source, and the remaining would migrate to places with similar climate and with an abundance of food.