Question

question 7 of 10
why do volcanoes cause earths climate to get colder?

a. they accelerate the milankovitch cycle.

b. their airborne debris reduces insolation.

c. they change earths precession.

d. they release heat from inside earth, cooling the planet.

Explanation:

• Option A: Milankovitch cycles are related to Earth's orbital variations (eccentricity, obliquity, precession) over long timescales, not caused by volcanoes.
• Option B: Volcanic eruptions release ash, sulfur dioxide, etc., into the atmosphere. This debris blocks or scatters incoming solar radiation (insolation), reducing the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface and causing cooling.
• Option C: Earth’s precession is a long - term orbital change, not altered by volcanic activity.
• Option D: Volcanoes release heat, but this heat is negligible compared to solar energy, and releasing heat would not cool the planet (heat release would tend to warm the local area, but the cooling effect comes from blocking sunlight, not the heat released).

Answer:

B. Their airborne debris reduces insolation.