Calendar Event Details
AEROCENTER: Paul Newman
Affiliation: Code 610
Event Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Location: G133
Time: 11:00 AM
What should NASA do in case of a major eruption?
Based on history, it is reasonable to expect a major volcanic eruption in the foreseeable future. By “major volcanic eruption”, we mean an eruption that injects a substantial amount of material, gases and particles, into the stratosphere as a result of one eruption event. Such a volcanic eruption can impact weather, climate, and atmospheric chemistry on regional, hemispheric and global scales over significant time periods. Further, such an eruption can be an unintended analog for a number of geo-engineering schemes for mitigating greenhouse warming of the Earth. To be clear, eruptions having only local effects, no matter how severe, are not of interest in this context. In order to understand and project the consequences of a major eruption, it is necessary to make a number of observations from a variety of perspectives. Such an eruption will occur, in the immediate sense, unexpectedly. Therefore, it is wise to have a thoughtfully developed plan for executing a rapid response that makes useful observations.
The purpose of the workshop was to develop an observation strategy to characterize the changes to atmospheric (especially stratospheric) composition that can be quickly implemented and utilized in response to a major volcanic eruption. Paul Newman will relate on the outcome of the workshop, which included about 30 experts from NASA, NOAA, USGS, and several universities.
Posted or updated: Monday, June 6, 2016
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