The Aftermath of a Volcanic Eruption

When you stroll on the ground, you may be oblivious as to what lies under it. Yet during an earthquake, you would surely get a notion that something is going on under the earth you walk on. There is a lot of heat deep down inside the earth. The heat under the Earth's crust is most apparent when volcanoes erupt.

A lot of science books explain in detail the working of a volcanic eruption but what happens after the eruption? A volcanic eruption brings about many alterations in the overall surrounding. In all, this may either be helpful for the environment or disadvantageous. However, it is a natural disaster, and you cannot do anything to avoid its negative impacts.

Initially, it is the air that is affected by an eruption. All volcanoes may be different. While a few erupt with a great jolt, others may be quiet. With an eruption, a huge spell of gases fills the air. These gases (mainly includes carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane) are expelled into the atmosphere. All of these gases elevate the likelihood of an acid rain. With the eruption, tiny rock particles may be splurged into the air which occupy the space that was to be taken by gas particles.

Eventually, the air around the volcano is thick and smothering. Moreover, they have the ability to travel over long distances which makes them capable of taking these heavy volcanic gases all around the globe. Likewise, the ash particles in the air cause breathing disturbances in individuals. These ash particles form a thick layer on the locations in the surrounding. When these meet water, they form a mud-like mass which is tough to remove.

Changes in the landscape around a volcano are immense. When magma flows down, it takes everything along with it such as the trees, plants, animals, buildings and roads which come in the stream of this lava are burnt. When this lava solidifies, a hard rock forms on the surface and if it rains after the eruption, the water and wind will result in weathering of this rock and this will eventually become a fertile soil.

Plants, animals and humans are also influenced by the eruption. However, humans and animals are capable of surviving the changes. The ash is tolerable until it is hot or it lies on the food. However, problem arrives when ash impedes water. The danger is not only done to the aquatic life, but also to other animals and humans as water is the necessary element they need to live. In all, a volcanic eruption does much damage to the whole ecosystem, yet luckily, neither does the eruption nor the effects of the volcano last long. Thus, it is not tough to survive after an eruption.

Effects of Deforestation

What Is Deforestation?

Deforestation is when humans clear significant stretches of forest without the intention to replace them. It is a phenomenon that has been happening since the start of human civilization but saw a noticeable increase with the start of the Industrial Revolution and has not slowed down by much since that time.

What Are the Causes of Deforestation?

Often, deforestation happens because of economic reasons. Some people clear forests in order to create room for their crops, while other people clear forests in order to create pasture for their livestock. Sometimes, forests are cleared for lumber and other wood-related products that can be sold on the open market, while other times, forests are cleared so that companies can access the minerals that can be found buried beneath them. There are even times when people have engaged in deforestation in order to create room for human settlement as part of a pattern of urbanization that can be found in countries situated all around the world.

However, it is important to note that deforestation can be carried out for other reasons as well, with an excellent example being the deforestation of Malasia and Vietnam by the United Kingdom and the United States in order to remove protective cover for their enemies during the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War.

What Are the Effects of Deforestation?

The loss of forests comes with serious consequences for both humans and the planet. For starters, deforestation is a major contributor to climate change caused by greenhouse gases because trees are one of the best sequestrators of the carbon dioxide that can be found in the atmosphere, which is rather unfortunate because a warming planet means not just massive disruptions to existing patterns but also more energetic and thus more dangerous weather. Furthermore, forests are known to create a great deal of water vapor, meaning that their removal from a region causes it to become more and more arid, thus making it less and less suitable for the agriculture that we need to feed ourselves. Finally, it should be noted that deforestation means the destruction of the ecosystems that can be found therein with a corresponding loss of biodiversity, which is not just problematic for the plants and animals that used to live therein but also for humans because of their lost potential. Summed up, it is clear that deforestation causes a wide range of problems for both humans and the planet, though it is unfortunate that most examples happen in the long run, meaning that they are less obvious than their counterparts in the short run.

What Are Some Famous Examples of Deforestation?

There are a number of famous examples of deforestation. For example, the Amazon rainforest is one of the best-known cases, both because it makes up more than half of the remaining rainforests that can be found on the planet and because the pace is so rapid that it has been known to lose tens of thousands of square kilometers on an annual basis. In main, the Amazon rainforest is being cleared for cattle farming, while the rest can be attributed to a combination of mechanized and subsistence farming. It is interesting to note that the Amazon rainforest has also attracted a great deal of attention because the continuing clearing has resulted in clashes with uncontacted tribes, who often end up suffering from the process.

Another famous example of deforestation occurred in China, where it resulted in the expansion of the Gobi Desert into the grassland in its north. However, it is interesting to note that the Chinese government has responded to this problem by mandating the planting of strips of forest, which has been called the Green Wall of China by some. While the results are not without their detractors, there are nonetheless a lot more trees in that country now than in the past, which also contribute to its efforts to cut down on its net greenhouse gas emissions.