Volcanism and the atmosphere

AGU Chapman Conference on Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere; Selfoss, Iceland, 10-16 June 2012 Volcanic eruptions release volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere that alter atmospheric chemistry and climate, and represent a hazard to aviation, particularly for modern jet aircraft. At the AGU Chapman Conference on Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere, 124 scientists gathered to discuss the effects of volcanism on the atmosphere at timescales ranging from billions of years, over which volcanic emissions have changed the composition of the atmosphere, to the Icelandic Eyjafjallajkull eruption in 2010, which caused a 10-day-long shutdown of North Atlantic air traffic. This was the third Chapman Conference on Volcanism and the Atmosphere, following those held in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1992 and in Santorini, Greece, in 2002, all of which were organized under the auspices of the Commission on Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere of the International Association of Volcanism and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) and the International Association for Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences.