[Committee] Sulfur dioxide

[Marc Kaufmann]

Hi,

for those who remember the controversy we had at the Exxon woman's
presentation last year, I just happened to come across the following:

"The most significant impacts from large explosive eruptions [of volcanoes]
come from the conversion of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to sulfuric acid (H2SO4),
which condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulfate aerosols.
The aerosols increase the reflection of radiation from the Sun back into
space and thus cool the Earth's lower atmosphere or troposphere; however,
they also absorb heat radiated up from the Earth, thereby warming the
stratosphere."

(Source: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/VolGas/SO2Aerosols.html )

So it seems like it has BOTH effects and is (or forms, with other compounds)
a GHG , although, as from the experience with volcanic eruptions, it looks
like the cooling effect dominates massively. If you know more about this,
let me know,

Marc

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