Volcanic Eruption Caused 'Julytober'? Weather Experts Link Natural Occurrence to Dramatic Weather in Midwest
Weather experts are discussing if a phenomenon that has come to be called "Julytober" was caused by a Volcano in Russia after the Midwest region experienced a cooler than normal period during what is supposed to be peak summertime temperatures.
Over the summer the central art of the country was wrapped up in a cold mass of air referred to as "Julytober" after the eruption of Mount Sheveluch in Russia in June.
With those two developments occurring close to one another scientists are studying to see if there is any connection between the two events and are drawing on history as an example.
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"Large Russian volcano eruptions tend to cool the Midwest," Historical Climatologist Evelyn Browning-Garriss told AccuWeather.com
If the eruption is large enough it sends millions of tons of debris high into the atmosphere, anywhere between 6-8 miles above the ground.
The mixture of volcanic ash, rock and gases, such as sulfur can influence temperatures by acting as a filter for sunlight and is some cases blocking it out completely.
"Sulfur dioxide combines with water in the atmosphere to provide sulfuric acid aerosol droplets that reflect incoming solar radiation," David Schneider, a Research Geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory, told MSN.com
Some of the debate centers around the timeline regarding such events as volcanic material can be suspended in the atmosphere for years and which may not affect the earth's climate for some time.
"Large eruptions that inject several millions of tons of sulfur gases high into the atmosphere are known to change the weather," Academic Research Fellow at the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds Dr. Anja Schmidt, told AccuWeather.com
When large eruptions do they have been known to alter monsoons and cause unusual warming and cooling of Northern Hemisphere continents.
