Strong constraints on aerosol–cloud interactions from volcanic eruptions

Florent F. Malavelle (), Jim M. Haywood, Andy Jones, Andrew Gettelman, Lieven Clarisse, Sophie Bauduin, Richard P. Allan, Inger Helene H. Karset, Jón Egill Kristjánsson, Lazaros Oreopoulos, Nayeong Cho, Dongmin Lee, Nicolas Bellouin, Olivier Boucher, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Ken S. Carslaw, Sandip Dhomse, Graham W. Mann, Anja Schmidt, Hugh Coe, Margaret E. Hartley, Mohit Dalvi, Adrian A. Hill, Ben T. Johnson, Colin E. Johnson, Jeff R. Knight, Fiona M. O’Connor, Daniel G. Partridge, Philip Stier, Gunnar Myhre, Steven Platnick, Graeme L. Stephens, Hanii Takahashi and Thorvaldur Thordarson
Additional contact information
Florent F. Malavelle: College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter
Jim M. Haywood: College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter
Andy Jones: Met Office Hadley Centre
Andrew Gettelman: National Center for Atmospheric Research
Lieven Clarisse: Chimie Quantique et Photophysique CP160/09, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Sophie Bauduin: Chimie Quantique et Photophysique CP160/09, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Richard P. Allan: University of Reading
Inger Helene H. Karset: University of Oslo
Jón Egill Kristjánsson: University of Oslo
Lazaros Oreopoulos: NASA GSFC
Nayeong Cho: NASA GSFC
Dongmin Lee: NASA GSFC
Nicolas Bellouin: University of Reading
Olivier Boucher: Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, UPMC/CNRS
Daniel P. Grosvenor: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Ken S. Carslaw: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Sandip Dhomse: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Graham W. Mann: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Anja Schmidt: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Hugh Coe: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester
Margaret E. Hartley: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester
Mohit Dalvi: Met Office Hadley Centre
Adrian A. Hill: Met Office Hadley Centre
Ben T. Johnson: Met Office Hadley Centre
Colin E. Johnson: Met Office Hadley Centre
Jeff R. Knight: Met Office Hadley Centre
Fiona M. O’Connor: Met Office Hadley Centre
Daniel G. Partridge: University of Stockholm
Philip Stier: Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford
Gunnar Myhre: Center for International Climate and Environmental Research
Steven Platnick: NASA GSFC
Graeme L. Stephens: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Hanii Takahashi: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Thorvaldur Thordarson: Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland

Nature, 2017, vol. 546, issue 7659, 485-491

Abstract: Abstract Aerosols have a potentially large effect on climate, particularly through their interactions with clouds, but the magnitude of this effect is highly uncertain. Large volcanic eruptions produce sulfur dioxide, which in turn produces aerosols; these eruptions thus represent a natural experiment through which to quantify aerosol–cloud interactions. Here we show that the massive 2014–2015 fissure eruption in Holuhraun, Iceland, reduced the size of liquid cloud droplets—consistent with expectations—but had no discernible effect on other cloud properties. The reduction in droplet size led to cloud brightening and global-mean radiative forcing of around −0.2 watts per square metre for September to October 2014. Changes in cloud amount or cloud liquid water path, however, were undetectable, indicating that these indirect effects, and cloud systems in general, are well buffered against aerosol changes. This result will reduce uncertainties in future climate projections, because we are now able to reject results from climate models with an excessive liquid-water-path response.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/nature22974

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