The relationship between volcanic activities and precipitation change

Abstract

Changes in precipitation over the last hundred to thousand years has been closely linked to major volcanic activity. It is important to explore in depth the relationship between volcanic eruptions and changes in precipitation. Strong volcanic activity can lead to interannual or interdecadal change in precipitation in some areas and even extreme droughts and floods. The relationship between strong volcanic eruptions and the distribution pattern of droughts and floods can contribute to the spatial and temporal patterns and mechanisms of droughts and floods and provide reference for predicting precipitation anomalies that may be caused by volcanic eruptions in the future, as well as helping to prevent and reduce losses to socio-economic and people's lives and property from volcanic activity, which is of great practical significance for sustainable socioeconomic development. Due to the differences in season, latitude and intensity of volcanic eruptions, the spatial distribution characteristics of eruptions are different, variations in precipitation vary from region to region. Volcanic eruptions at middle and high latitudes mainly affect the hemisphere where they occur, while eruptions at middle and low latitudes can affect the whole world for a longer period. After an eruption, there is a tendency for precipitation to increase for a short period of time, but for a longer period of time, precipitation will decrease and the response to precipitation changes in summer is more pronounced than in winter. This study discusses the relationship between volcanic activities and precipitation change in China, based on relevant literature and data and the records of precipitation changes in historical Chinese literature. This study analyses the characteristics of spatial and temporal changes and regional differences in droughts and floods in China on an interannual scale after strong volcanic eruptions, and also select precipitation data in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, from 1885 to 2020 AD, through comparative analysis and other methods, attempt to identify the signal of strong volcanic eruptions in the vicinity of China from the precipitation series, investigate whether strong volcanic eruptions in the vicinity of China can interfere with the drought and flood patterns in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and provide a reference for dealing with possible precipitation anomalies in the future after volcanic eruptions.