Question

The Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 affected the atmosphere in which of the following ways?

A) The atmospheric albedo increased.
B) An increase occurred in the amount of energy absorbed in the atmosphere.
C) A worldwide decrease in surface temperatures occurred in the two years after the eruption.
D) All of these were effects of the eruption.
E) None of these effects occurred.

Answer 1

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo increased atmospheric albedo and caused a worldwide decrease in surface temperatures, meaning all listed effects occurred as a result of the eruption.

Step-by-step explanation:

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 had significant effects on the atmosphere. Specifically, the eruption led to:

• A) An increase in atmospheric albedo: The eruption released voluminous amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and other aerosols into the atmosphere, which reflected sunlight and increased the Earth's albedo.
• C) A worldwide decrease in surface temperatures: The aerosols that were ejected into the atmosphere reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the surface, causing a global cooling effect. Evidence shows that after the eruption, global temperatures dropped by about 0.4 °C in the following years.

This indicates that the correct answer to the student's question would be D) All of these were effects of the eruption. While an increase in energy absorption (option B) is usually associated with greenhouse gases and not aerosols, the release of particulates did indeed increase albedo and lead to a decrease in surface temperatures as noted in options A and C.