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Changing sea levels and erupting volcanoes: cause and effect?
Author(s) -
McGUIRE W. J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
geology today
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.188
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1365-2451
pISSN - 0266-6979
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2451.1992.tb00387.x
Subject(s) - volcano , geology , volcanism , quaternary , sea level , atmosphere (unit) , debris , explosive material , period (music) , earth science , seismology , climatology , physical geography , paleontology , oceanography , meteorology , tectonics , geography , archaeology , physics , acoustics
The Quaternary period was characterized not only by significant cyclic changes in global temperature but also by increased explosive volcanism. Is this just coincidence or is there a connection? And if the latter, what is it? A number of possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain how these two apparently unrelated phenomena may be related, most involving the climatic effects of volcanic debris ejected into the atmosphere. A new model, however, proposes that changing sea levels during the last Ice Age may also have had an important role to play in this problematical scenario.