How a Volcano Hid the Acceleration of Sea Level Rise

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/volcano-hid-sea-level-rise-acceleration-20595

By John Upton
Aug. 10, 2016

An uptick in sea level rise caused by greenhouse gas pollution during the past two decades has been hiding behind a volcano.

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 sent tens of millions of tons of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere. By reflecting heat and cooling ocean temperatures, a new study has shown how the eruption masked the worsening effects of industrial pollution on global sea levels during the two decades since.

An uptick in sea level rise caused by greenhouse gas pollution during the past two decades has been hiding behind a volcano.

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 sent tens of millions of tons of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere. By reflecting heat and cooling ocean temperatures, a new study has shown how the eruption masked the worsening effects of industrial pollution on global sea levels during the two decades since.

Warm waters expand, which is a major cause of sea level rise, and the researchers concluded that sea levels would have been about a quarter of an inch higher in 1992 had the volcano not erupted one year prior.

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Even the best-case scenarios published by scientists in recent years suggest seas will rise 1 to 2 feet this century, though 4 feet or even more is possible, which would cripple many coastal regions.

“This continued rise is exactly what you'd expect as the greenhouse gas concentration keeps on rising,” Slangen said.

The findings generally confirmed those from previous research, which has used longer-running tide gauges and other sources of data to show that seas are rising at an accelerating clip because of industrial activities.

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