Large volcanic eruptions may lead to significant tephra dispersion, crossing borders and affecting distant and industrial societies in various ways. While the effects of volcanic ash clouds on the aviation industry have been recognized, damaging effects on the photovoltaic energy sector are poorly investigated. Here we describe the influence of volcanic tephra deposition on photovoltaic (PV) mo...

OBJECTIVES Two factors have been considered important contributors to tooth wear: dietary abrasives in plant foods themselves and mineral particles adhering to ingested food. Each factor limits the functional life of teeth. Cross-population studies of wear rates in a single species living in different habitats may point to the relative contributions of each factor. MATERIALS AND METHODS We ex...

With the recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyafallajökull and resulting ash cloud over much of Europe there was considerable concern about possible respiratory hazards. Volcanic ash can contain minerals that are known human respiratory health hazards such as cristobalite. Short-term ash exposures can cause skin sores, respiratory and ocular irritations and exacerbation of pre-existing lu...

Volcanic eruptions that shape the earth’s surface can have major effect on ecosystems and, as natural experiments, can yield insights into ecological dynamics. On 04 June 2011, a mega-eruption in the Puyehue volcanic complex (Chile) discharged massive amounts of ash and pumice. Using long-term data from five North Andean Patagonian lakes (Espejo, Correntoso, Nahuel Huapi, Gutiérrez, and Mascard...

Across the globe, deserts and volcanic eruptions produce large volumes of atmospheric dust, and the amount of dust is predicted to increase with global warming. The effects of long-distance airborne dust inputs on ecosystem productivity are potentially far-reaching but have primarily been measured in soil and plants. Airborne dust could also drive distribution and abundance at higher trophic le...

During the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in April– May 2010 multi-wavelength Raman lidar measurements were performed at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory (CIAO), whenever weather conditions permitted observations. A methodology both for volcanic layer identification and accurate aerosol typing has been developed. This methodology relies on the multi-wavelength Raman lidar measurements and the...