Abstract:

This study investigated changes in Turkey’s summer average maximum and minimum air temperatures led by the three volcanic eruptions (VEI > 5 and IVI > 0.2) occurred tropical zone during the second half of the 20th Century. Results of the analysis performed by using the air temperature observations of 65 climatological and meteorological stations revealed that the average maximum and minimum air temperatures decreased in the first two years following a strong volcanic eruption. The most evident change in summer air temperatures was seen in the maximum air temperatures, whilst the decreasing tendency was much severe in the second summer season (Summer +1) after a strong volcanic eruption. In the SummerMax +1, air temperatures decreased at almost all stations except three stations, and observed departures were above 1°C at 33 stations. Although responds of the minimum air temperatures to the volcanic eruptions were not as great as those in maximum air temperatures, the greater decreasing tendency was detected in the following third summer season (SummerMin +2) after a volcanic eruption. According to the composite average of the 65 stations, average minimum air temperatures during the SummerMin +2 compared the reference period indicated a decrease of air temperature with -0.47°C, whereas air temperatures remained below the averages of the reference period at the 57 stations.  The strongest cooling tendency in Turkey was observed after the 1982 El Chichón volcanic eruption.  Key Words: Solar radiation, Maximum and Minimum Air Temperatures, Sulphate Aerosol, Composite Anomaly.