Examine the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo with a focus on its atmospheric impacts and the dispersal of its emissions by winds

What will be an ideal response?


In June, 1991 Mt. Pinatubo erupted after over 600 years of dormancy, spewing millions of tons of ash, dust, and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The sulfur dioxide rose to the stratosphere, where it formed sulfuric acid. Mt. Pinatubo's aerosols soon mixed with the airborne debris from dust storms, fires, and industrial haze as global winds swept them around the globe. Within 60 days of the explosion, the debris covered about 42% of the globe, from 20° S to 30° N. The debris increased atmospheric albedo and, for almost 2 years, the debris effected sunrises and sunsets and resulted in a small temporary lowering of average temperatures.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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Inner city population densities were generally ________, speaking to the quality of life in inner cities

A) comparable to suburban densities B) equal to that found in rural areas C) comparable to population density of the United States as a whole D) significantly higher E) impossible to measure because no census statistics were collected for inner cities

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What is the major impediment to foreign investment in Afghanistan?

A) lack of resources B) unwillingness of the Afghan government to provide tax breaks for investors C) lack of resources and unwillingness of the Afghan government to provide tax breaks for investors D) its landlocked position within Central Asia E) political instability

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Composite volcanoes are often composed of:

a. basaltic lavas b. andesitic lavas c. rhyolitic lavas d. gabbroic lavas

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Which of the following is true of polyatomic ions?

A) All are anions. B) All are cations. C) The vast majority are anions. D) The vast majority are cations.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences