How did the Pinatubo eruption affect the earth?

Answer 1

The eruption affected weather and temperatures around the world.

The 1991 eruption sent up a cloud of ash 21km (13 miles) high. In volume this was 10 cubic km (2.4 cubic miles) of material.

The vast amount of aerosols and dust gradually spread through the stratosphere during the following year. Sulfur dioxide produced a global haze of sulfuric acid droplets. All this blocked out the sun. The amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface was reduced by 10%.

Temperatures in the northern hemisphere dropped by 0.5 C (0.9 F). At the same time temperatures in the stratosphere rose several degrees, because the dust and other particles there absorbed the sun's radiation (preventing it reaching the earth's surface). This cloud of aerosols from the explosion stayed in the stratosphere for three more years.

The eruption also lowered ozone levels. The winter ozone hole over Antarctica in 1992 was the largest ever.

Deaths: 847 people died, mostly from roofs collapsing under the weight of wet ash.

Agriculture: 150 km2 of reforestation projects was destroyed. 800 km2 (200,000 acres) of rice farmland was destroyed, and almost 800,000 livestock and poultry were killed. This destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of farmers.

Buildings: 8000 houses were destroyed and 73,000 were damaged. This included schools, factories and local government buildings.

Answer 2

Positive: The soil becomes more fertile near volcanoes.

Negative: Crops are destroyed and can be hard to regrow.

Answer 3

Mount Pinatubo is on the Philippine plate near the boundary with the Pacific Plate.

Answer 4

its your fault people have cancer

Answer 5

convergent plate boundary