Sulfuric gases convert to sulfate aerosols, sub-micron droplets containing about 75 percent sulfuric acid. Large-scale volcanic activity may last only a few days, but the massive outpouring of gases and ash can influence climate patterns for years. The extent to which this occurs is an ongoing debate. Volcanic eruptions of this magnitude can impact global climate, reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface, lowering temperatures in the troposphere, and changing atmospheric circulation patterns. Gases and solids injected into the stratosphere circled the globe for three weeks. The eruption caused widespread destruction and loss of human life. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines June 15, 1991, an estimated 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide and ash particles blasted more than 12 miles (20 km) high into the atmosphere.
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