In 1991 a volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Luzon, near the Philippines. In a short period of time Mount Pinatubo had injected into the atmosphere 10 billion tonnes of magma and 20 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide. In the months that followed, global temperature had fallen by 0.5 °C. The cooling occurred because of the formation of a thin layer of sulfuric acid that reflected the sun’s radiation.
Sulfur: Smells of hell, Ionic Magazine, 1 December 2012.
Illustration by Carlos D Toledo-Suárez.
Akshat Rathi 