Sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from La Soufriere volcano eruption in the Caribbean have reached all the way to India.

Why in news?

• Its eruption has sparked fear of increased pollution levels in the northern parts of India and acid rain.
• Volcanic plumes can cause aviation and air quality hazards.

La Soufriere

• It is an active stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
• It is the highest peak in Saint Vincent and has had five recorded explosive eruptions since 1718.

Impact of such eruptions

• Volcanic emissions reaching the stratosphere can have a cooling effect on global temperatures.
• The most significant climate impacts from volcanic injections into the stratosphere come from the conversion of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, which condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulphate aerosols.
• The aerosols increase the reflection of radiation from the Sun back into space, cooling the Earth’s lower atmosphere or troposphere.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Which of the following adds/add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle on the planet Earth?

1. Volcanic action
2. Respiration
3. Photosynthesis
4. Decay of organic matter

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

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