An eruption from Bali’s Agung volcano has now become a matter of when, not if, and scientists are warning temperatures will dip when it finally blows.
When the volcano last erupted in 1963, a huge amount of ash and sulphur dioxide were pumped into the atmosphere.
The sulphur dioxide subsequently reacted with water vapour in the air which formed sulphuric acid droplets.
Scientists believed 10 million tonnes of these sulphuric acid droplets gathered in the stratosphere which acted as a barrier.
This barrier reduced the amount of ultraviolet rays that made it from the sun to the Earth’s surface which had a cooling effect on the planet.
Experts say temperatures dropped by up to 0.4 degrees celsius. While this may not sound like much, during the last Ice Age, global temperatures dropped by just five degrees celsius.
However, Richard Arculus, an Emeritus Professor in geology at the Australian National University, said it is unlikely that we will be able to notice an effect, and the drop should not last for long.
He told ABC: “The sulphuric acid droplets are small enough that they can stay up there for a while… but eventually they get rained out.”
So far, 75,000 people have been forced to flee the surrounding areas of Agung as the likelihood of it erupting grows.
Clouds hung over Mount Agung today after volcanic tremors and billowing white smoke seen over the crater have raised alarm in recent days.
According to EMSC, an independent scientific organisation that provides real-time earthquake warnings, there was a magnitude 4.2 earthquake earlier today.
Recent data shows that Mount Agung experienced 844 volcanic earthquakes on Monday, and between 300 and 400 earthquakes by midday on Tuesday.
Sitting on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.
Indonesia’s national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told reporters on Monday that “volcanic activity is increasing, and tremors are being becoming more frequent”.