Abstract
The injection of volcanic dust and gases into the atmosphere during major eruptions has been advanced to explain short-term variations of climate1–4. A calculated global cooling of ∼1K during episodes of intense volcanic activity3 could lead to a snowline depression sufficient to cause glacier advances equivalent to those of the last several centuries. The hypothesis would therefore be strengthened if a close relationship could be demonstrated between global volcanicity and the pattern of recent glacier variations. Glacier activity in the Northern Hemisphere during much of the past 100 yr shows a lack of synchrony with that in the Southern Hemisphere, but in each hemisphere the sequence of glacier variations matches the acidity record in polar ice cores and the frequency of volcanic eruptions in successive latitude belts. This suggests that glaciers fluctuate in response to atmospheric build-up of volcanic aerosols produced during large eruptions and that explosive volcanism may therefore be a major factor in modulating climate on the decadal scale.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lamb, H. H. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A266, 425–533 (1970).
Bray, J. R. in Climatic Change and Variability — A Southern Perspective (eds Pittock, A. B., Frakes, L. A., Jensen, D., Petersen, J. A. & Zillman, J.) 256–262 (Cambridge University Press, 1978).
Pollack, J. B. et al. J. geophys. Res. 81, 1071–1083 (1976).
Schneider, S. H. & Mass, C. L. Science 190, 741–746 (1975).
Porter, S. C. in Climate and History (eds Wigley, T. M. L., Ingram, M. J. & Farmer, G.) (Cambridge University Press, in the press).
Morris, L. D., Simkin, T. & Meyers, H. Volcanoes of the World (World Data Center A for Solid Earth Geophysics, 1979).
Mayewski, P. A. & Jeschke, P. A. Arctic alp. Res. 11, 267–287 (1979).
Karlén, W. & Denton, G. H. Boreas 5, 25–56 (1976).
Theakstone, W. H. J. Glaciol. 5, 411–431 (1965).
Weidick, A. Medd. Grønland 165, 1–202 (1968).
Eythorsson, J. Jökul 13, 31–33 (1963).
Hammer, C. U., Claussen, H. B. & Dansgaard, W. Nature 288, 230–235 (1980).
Delmas, R. & Boutron, C. J. J. geophys. Res. 85, 5645–5649 (1980).
Hirschboek, K. K. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 29, 223–241 (1979/1980).
Bray, J. R. Nature 248, 42–43 (1974).
Le Roy Ladurie, E. Times of Feast, Times of Famine: a History of Climate since the Year 1000, 1–426 (Doubleday, New York, 1971).
Kosiba, A. Breslau Univ. Earth Sci. Publ. B 4, 1–30 (1960).
Kosiba, A. Bull. Int. Ass. Sci. Hydrol. 8, 24–35 (1963).
Vivian, R. Rev. Geogr. Alp. 52, 513–531 (1964).
Davies, W. E. & Krinsley, D. B. Int. Ass. Sci. Hydrol. Publ. 58, 119–130 (1962).
Kinsman, D. J. J. & Sheard, J. W. J. Glaciol. 4, 439–448 (1963).
Lamb, H. H., Probert-Jones, J. R. & Sheard, J. W. J. Glaciol. 4, 355–365 (1962).
Sheard, J. W. J. Glaciol. 5, 805–811 (1965).
Denton, G. H. & Karlén, W. Quat. Res. 3, 155–205 (1973).
Karlén, W. Geogr. Ann. 55A, 29–63 (1973).
Karlén, W. Geogr. Ann. 58A, 1–34 (1976).
Faegri, K. I.U.G.G. Gen. Assem., Oslo, 293–303 (1948).
Griffey, N. J. Nor. Geogr. Tidsskr. 31, 163–172 (1977).
Hoel, A. & Werenskiold, W. Skr. Nor. Polarinst. 114, 1–291 (1962).
Karlén, W. Geogr. Ann. 61 A, 11–28 (1979).
Beschel, R. Geology of the Arctic (ed. Raasch, G. O.) 1044–1062 (University of Toronto Press, 1961).
Gordon, J. E. Nature 284, 187–189 (1980).
Weidick, A. Medd. Grønland 158, 1–196 (1959).
Weidick, A. Bull. Int. Ass. Sci. Hydrol. 8, 75–82 (1963).
Sigbjarnarson, G. Jökul 20, 50–61 (1970).
Thorarinsson, S. Geogr. Ann. 25, 1–54 (1943).
Thorarinsson, S. Jökul 6, 1–15 (1956).
Thorarinsson, S. Jökul 14, 67–75 (1964).
Matthews, J. A. Norsk. Georgr. Tiddskr. 28, 215–235 (1974).
Denton, G. H. & Stuiver, M. Am. J. Sci. 264, 577–599 (1966).
Field, W. O. Jr Geogr. Rev. 22, 361–388 (1932).
Karlstrom, T. N. V. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 443, 1–69 (1964).
Lawrence, D. B. Geogr. Rev. 40, 191–223 (1950).
Viereck, L. A. in Arctic and Alpine Environments (eds Wright, H. E. Jr & Osborn, W. H.) 189–204 (Indiana University, 1967).
Bray, J. R. & Struik, G. J. Can. J. Bot. 41, 1245–1271 (1963).
Heusser, C. J. Ecol. Monogr. 26, 263–302 (1956).
Luckman, B. H. Can. J. Earth Sci. 14, 1809–1822 (1977).
Luckman, B. H. & Osborn, G. D. Quat. Res. 11, 52–77 (1979).
West, R. & Maki, A. G. Jr Science 133, 1661 (1961).
Burbank, D. W. Arctic Alp. Res. (in the press).
Harrison, A. E. J. Glaciol. 2, 675–683 (1956).
Hubley, R. C. J. Glaciol. 2, 669–674 (1956).
Sigafoos, R. L. & Hendricks, E. L. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Pap. 387 B, 1–24 (1972).
Messerli, B., Messerli, P., Pfister, C. & Zumbuhl, H. T. Arctic alp. Res. 10, 247–260 (1978).
Patzelt, G. Z. Gletscherk. Glazialgeol. 6, 151–159 (1970).
Reynaud, L. Z. Gletscherk. Glazialgeol. 13, 155–166 (1977).
Vivian, R. Les Glaciers des Alpes Occidentales 1–512 (Allier, Grenoble, 1975).
Makarevich, K. G. I.A.S.H. Publ. 58, 249–261 (1962).
Mercer, J. H. Glaciol. Not. 14, 19–33 (1963).
Batura Glacier Investigation Group Sci. Sinica 22, 958–974 (1979).
Burrows, C. J. N.Z. J. Geol. Geophys. 16, 831–855 (1973).
Burrows, C. J. & Greenland, D. E. R. Soc. N.Z. J. 9, 321–373 (1979).
Mercer, J. H. Glaciol. Not. 12, 33–44 (1962).
Wardle, P. N.Z. J. Bot. 11, 349–388 (1973).
Heusser, C. J. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 95, 642–657 (1961).
Lawrence, D. B. & Lawrence, E. G. Am. Geogr. Soc. ONR tech. Rep. 641–04, 1–39 (1959).
Lliboutry, L. Nieves y Glaciares de Chile, 1–471 (University of Chile, Santiago 1956).
Mercer, J. H. Glaciol. Not. 12, 9–31 (1962).
Mercer, J. H. Southern Hemisphere Glacier Atlas, 1–325 (U.S. Army Natick Laboratory Technical Kep. 67-76-ES, 1967).
Lindsey, D. C. Arctic alp. Res. 5, 341–346 (1973).
Radok, U. & Watts, D. Int. Ass. Sci. Hydrol. Publ. 104, 42–56 (1975).
Smith, J. J. Glaciol. 3, 705–714 (1960).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Porter, S. Recent glacier variations and volcanic eruptions. Nature 291, 139–142 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291139a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/291139a0
This article is cited by
-
Himalayan glaciers experienced significant mass loss during later phases of little ice age
Scientific Reports (2017)
-
Role of debris cover to control specific ablation of adjoining Batal and Sutri Dhaka glaciers in Chandra Basin (Himachal Pradesh) during peak ablation season
Journal of Earth System Science (2016)
-
Centennial-scale climate change from decadally-paced explosive volcanism: a coupled sea ice-ocean mechanism
Climate Dynamics (2011)
-
The explosive volcanic eruption signal in northern hemisphere continental temperature records
Climatic Change (1988)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.