Geoengeneering being a man made attempt to control climate, offers limited solutions for volcanic eruptions. Volcanic eruptions though having effects on climate, do so in a very temporary fashion. These changes range from 1 year to as many as 5 years according to NASA’s studies. Geoengineering research will likely go on at the same pace regardless of volcanic eruptions. These are known variables and natural to Earth’s environment, which will surely be calculated for in geoengineering research.
Volcanic eruptions, particularly Mt Aging 1963, and El Chichn 1982 have given great examples of the variation of effect a volcanic eruption may have on Earth’s climate as a whole.
The effects of El Chichn where dramatically less than those of Mt Agung, which could be due to the difference in location or that it took place during an El Nino year (a Pacific Ocean weather phenomenon causing global weather pattern change).
Each of these eruptions caused a great deal of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to quickly enter the atmosphere potentially causing a drop in ozone levels (this is generally accepted as less than great considering ozone helps regulate how much radiation we get on our planet).
The difference is, although being comparable eruptions they did not have the same effect on climate, suggesting that the effects of volcanoes are not based solely on the amount of chemicals being released.
Changes to climate from volcanic eruptions have varied greatly due to a number of variables which can be understood with satellite study and computer modeling.
Theoretic models have proved effective in the case of Mt Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991. These computer models can be used to determine the length of effect and to get a good if not precise measurement of the effects of a given eruption.
If our planet should be at such a tenuous point that we feel the need to use geoengineering to counteract a volcanic eruptions effects on the weather, our planet would be such that we would already be using geoengineering to combat climate change as well as strict legislation.
The study of geoengineering may in fact become a necessity as our climate changes and humans struggle to understand both its causes and effects. This study is unlikely to change pace due to a relatively mild though high profile eruption, such as the eruption recently in Iceland.
As many of us struggle to be more “green” there is still a pressing need to combat climate change, it would seem foolish to change the pace of this research on the account of a relatively small volcano. Good science seldom moves at any pace other than what the researchers can, and often do, work at.
Geoengineering seems to be a step removed from any volcanic eruption considering volcanic eruptions are generally difficult to predict with any precision.
Geoengineering may offer solutions for climate change but those solutions tend to be long term and the effects of volcanoes are relatively short lived. In order to spur any long term research a long term problem must arise (such as global climate change).
Geoengineering is unlikely to change its pace due to a relatively small volcano. However geoengineering is used, researched or funded, it is unlikely to change because of a single eruption of relatively low harm.
