Investigating Volcanic Plume Dispersion and Ash Deposition Effects on Snow Albedo in Antarctica

Volcanic eruptions are significant contributors to atmospheric aerosols, affecting global climate by altering radiative forcing. In remote regions such as Antarctica, volcanic ash plumes from eruptions in the Southern Hemisphere have the potential to impact snow albedo, altering the region’s energy balance. This paper investigates the dispersion of volcanic ash from South American volcanoes over Antarctica using the HYSPLIT model and examines the effects of ash deposition on snow albedo using the SNICAR-Adv3 model. The study simulates various eruption scenarios and assesses how changes in snow’s optical properties, such as albedo, are influenced by different levels of volcanic ash deposition. The findings demonstrate that ash deposition is most significant in the lower atmosphere (0–4000 m) due to gravitational settling and proximity to the surface, with air concentrations decreasing with altitude. It was found that snow albedo could potentially decrease by 1% due to volcanic ash deposition. The results suggest that while plume dispersion and ash deposition over Antarctica are plausible under specific atmospheric conditions, the extent of ash’s impact on albedo varies significantly. This variability could accelerate snowmelt, influencing the Antarctic climate system and potentially altering the regional energy balance.