In the past year of 2019, the whole world literally boiled. The global average temperature was 0.6℃ higher than average, and it was the second highest since 2016. In the Netherlands, about 3,000 people died of heat waves in a week, and France set a record high with temperatures rising to 46°C. In Japan, over 100 people died from heat waves, and 18,000 people suffered from heatstroke.

Korea also recorded an annual average temperature of 13.5℃ last year and the second highest temperature since 1973. The average annual maximum temperature was 19.1℃, which was the highest in history. Typhoons affected more than twice as many times as normal, and snowfall in January and December was very low at the highest temperature. It is not only limited to last year. Even though Korea's temperature was the highest, it was relatively recent in 2016. In addition, the worst heat wave came in 2018. Looking at Korea's annual average temperature value, it has been ranked 7 times since the recent 2000s in the top 10. (See picture)

As the temperature in the world, as well as in Korea, continues to rise, abnormal climates are becoming more frequent, and the damages we are facing are intact. Over the past 30 years, temperatures in Antarctica have risen more than three times faster than the world average, according to overseas researchers. Polar glaciers have high albedo and reflect the sun's light well. Melting glaciers due to higher temperatures in the polar regions means that there is room for more rapid temperature rise in the future. In this situation, many scientists and politicians are already interested in climate change, and attempts are being made to slow global warming. Consultation from around the world to reduce greenhouse gases is part of that. However, greenhouse gas concentrations are still rising and temperatures are rising. To this end, some scholars have proposed an artificial way to lower the temperature of the earth using modern technology, one of which is an artificial volcano. Artificial volcanic ash is used to lower the temperature of the earth.

● The temperature of the earth rises due to volcanic ash↓


In 1991, a volcano erupted in Pinatovo. The volcanic eruption index was 6, which is a significant effect of the volcanic eruption on the atmosphere. Volcanic eruptions generated a huge amount of volcanic ash, which went up to the stratosphere. At that time, 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide reflected about 2.5% of the sun's light from the stratosphere, and over the next two to three years, the global average temperature fell by as much as 0.2°C. According to a study by the National Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, if you spray about 14 million tons of fine particles, such as sulfur dioxide, into the stratosphere, the global temperature will be similar to that in 2080 even if CO2 emissions are not reduced. This is a groundbreaking scenario. Using artificial techniques to spread volcanic ash into the stratosphere can reduce the human damage caused by natural volcanic eruptions, such as Pinatubo or Elchison Volcano, while lowering the Earth's temperature. It is not absurd to say that reducing the rate of global warming with artificial volcanic ash.

● Artificial volcanic side effects are severe…

Obviously, El Niño's use of volcanic ash to reduce the rate of global warming isn't a big deal. However, there are side effects to artificial volcanoes without human injury. The most noticeable side effect is reduced precipitation. According to the analysis of a domestic research team, after five volcanic eruptions (Pinatubo, Elchichon, Agung, Santa Maria, and Krakatau), the average precipitation in summer in the monsoon region near the equator decreased by 6% from 490mm to 460mm. There was a variation by region, but the precipitation decreased by as much as 30% in regions where the number decreased. The team also investigated the causal relationship between volcanic eruptions and precipitation declines that have not been clearly identified in the study. It was analyzed that El Niño was the decisive factor in the volcanic activity reducing global precipitation. In the past, 5 cases of volcanic eruptions were analyzed and 20 models were used. As a result, it was observed that El Niño occurred in the following year. (See picture)

When the temperature of the earth decreases due to a volcanic eruption, the rising air currents are suppressed in the Indochina and Malay continents. On the contrary, as the temperature decreases, a high-pressure descending air stream occurs. At this time, along with the descending air, the wind induces a western wind (Peru standard) and weakens the trade wind (northeast wind) near the equator. Eventually, the temperature of seawater near Peru increased, leading to El Niño and a decrease in precipitation in the monsoon region near the Western Pacific. There may be many causes for cloud formation and precipitation, but the team analyzed that the El Niño effect accounts for at least 50% of precipitation reduction. In the monsoon region (East Asia, Central and South America, Australia, Africa, etc.), two-thirds of the world's population lives, and precipitation can account for more than 30% of global land precipitation, so the decline in precipitation in this region is a fatal drought worldwide. And so on. (See the figure.) Although there were differences among models, precipitation usually decreased the most after one year after the eruption. The stronger El Niño, the more precipitation fell.

● Since it is an essential effort

, it seems difficult to realize global warming through artificial umbrellas and further lowering the temperature of the earth due to side effects. In addition to the reduction in precipitation reported in this study, artificially reducing the temperature using artificial volcanic ash has another side effect. It can also impact crop yields. In 2018, a U.S. research team analyzed how the explosions of Pinatubo and Elchichon affected crop production. The analysis period was from 1979 to 2009, and corn, soybean, rice and wheat production in 105 countries was analyzed. If we artificially block light by spraying artificial volcanic ash, the temperature of crop cultivation areas on Earth will decrease by 0.88℃ by 2050-2069. However, as photosynthesis decreases due to scattering of sunlight, production is expected to decrease to 5.3%. Adding to the El Niño effect, as published in this domestic study, could be a fatal blow to humanity.

Greenhouse gas growth slowed for a while with Corona 19, but the concentration is still rising. The international community's efforts to keep the temperature rise at 1.5~2℃ are also facing a big crisis. As you can see from this study, considering the side effects, etc., it is not easy for us to prevent the temperature rise of the earth with our science and technology. Eventually, we must slowly reduce the causes of the increase in the temperature of the Earth. If global warming continues, there will be far more abnormal climates than the side effects of artificial volcanic ash mentioned in this report. I hope that there will not be an alternative day in the ideal climate that humans will eventually encounter with artificial technologies and global warming that have side effects.


<References & Advisors>

-Seungmok Paik, Seung-Ki Min*, Carley E. Iles, Erich M. Fischer, Andrew P. Schurer, "Volcanic-induced global monsoon drying modulated by diverse El Niño responses", Science advances (2020 ) Vol. 6, no. 21 (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba1212)-Jonathan
Proctor*, Solomon Hsiang, Jennifer Burney, Marshall Burke & Wolfram Schlenker, "Estimating global agricultural effects of geoengineering using volcanic eruptions", nature (2018) 560, 480–483 (doi .org/10.1038/s41586-018-0417-3)
-Professor Min Seung -ki of Pohang University of Science and Technology
-Korea Meteorological Administration