Natural causes - LDQ format

Level Descriptor Questions (LDQ) Format

Volcanic eruptions are the main cause of global climate change. Do you agree?               [6]

Introduction

-        Disagree. To a large extent. (accept all other possible answers). This essay will discuss about Volcanic eruption as the natural cause, as well as human activities that contributes to a large component of climate change.

Point - Explain how volcanic eruption affects climate.	•        Volcanic eruption causes temporary cooling of the earth for months or years. This affects the climate as temperature drops.
Elaborate - Elaborate on gases released and global dimming.	•        Global dimming: Gradual reduction in the amount of sunlight reaching the earth’s surface. –       Dust particles from eruption form condensation nuclei, creating more cloud cover. –       Dust and ash also reflect away incoming solar radiation.
Examples - Country - Year of eruption - Volcano name	•        For example, Mount Pinatubo eruption lowered temperatures by as much as 0.6°C for as long as two years.
Limitations - Explain that variations in solar output also affect climate change.	However, volcanic eruptions only affects the temperature temporarily, and also causes more of a regional impact than global impact. It also depends on the scale of the eruption to determine the amount of greenhouses gases produced. Additionally, the amount of sunspots also affects the climate change in the world.

Sunspots / Human activities eg deforestation, burning of fossil fuels.

In conclusion, volcanic eruptions causes climate change to a small extent and thus I disagree with the statement. Human activities contributes more to global climatic changes.