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I'm writing about a planet that is harsh but livable. This planet is covered with mountains and active volcanoes. Far more volcanoes than what exists on Earth. It is more like Venus but is much further away from the Sun and has a faster rotation speed. This planet has a very hot core and there is a volcanic eruption somewhere on the Earth-sized planet every day.

Assuming the planet has many characteristic similar to Earth, just with more volcanoes, how would the climate be like? On one hand, a hot core and all of the magma and gasses pouring out should heat up the planet. On the other hand, the volcanic eruptions would block sunlight from reaching the planet's surface which would cool down the planet. As a result, I'm not sure if the planet would be overall hotter or cooler than Earth assuming that it orbits a yellow dwarf star 1 astronomical unit away. I'm assuming it would be hot near volcanoes and cold elsewhere.

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    $\begingroup$ What's the average scale of the eruptions? Something like a daily Stromboli (2019), Tonga (2022), Krakatoa (1883), something in the middle, or worse? $\endgroup$
    – BMF
    Nov 27, 2022 at 16:36
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    $\begingroup$ @BMF, on the index, every day there is a level 2 eruption. Every month there is a level 4 explosion. Every decade there is a level 6 explosion. Every milennium there is a level 8 explosion. $\endgroup$
    – Rhymehouse
    Nov 27, 2022 at 19:42
  • $\begingroup$ Wow, that's a substantial increase! I'm looking forward to seeing answers to this Q. I think you should edit that info into the main body of the question, for clarity. $\endgroup$
    – BMF
    Nov 27, 2022 at 19:54

2 Answers 2

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Global warming! Global cooling!

sun ash

source

Ash blocks the sun! More importantly, sulfur kicked out from volcanoes forms reflective aerosols at high altitude and can make volcanic winter

And volcanoes can heat the earth. Or a lot of them could, theoretically.

https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/42/what-do-volcanoes-have-to-do-with-climate-change/

Volcanic eruptions are often discussed in relation to climate change because they release CO2 (and other gases) into our atmosphere. However, human contributions to the carbon cycle are more than 100 times those from all the volcanoes in the world - combined.

But you knew all that, because it was in the OP. So your world can have some of each, heating and cooling, in the proportions that suit your story.

I actually came here for the hot lava. Hot lava does not play into the atmospheric piece even though it makes glowing hot puddles. But hopefully you have some of those too. Monsters can fall in. I actually came for the monsters that fall in the hot lava. And get back out! Whoa!

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    $\begingroup$ I'm not OP so I can't speak on behalf of OP, but personally I hate it when I ask a question like "what would be the properties of x" and get answers like "x would be whatever best fits your story! 😜" $\endgroup$
    – BMF
    Nov 27, 2022 at 17:51
  • $\begingroup$ It doesn't look like OP has an idea locked in about what their world looks like and wants validation of their idea. They have a premise (super-volcanic Earth) and want to know what it would realistically look like, so they can write in that setting. $\endgroup$
    – BMF
    Nov 27, 2022 at 17:52
  • $\begingroup$ @BMF: the properties of X would be pools of lava, containing monsters. Other monsters fall in to said pools. Mayhem ensues! But the thing about volcanoes is stuff could be hotter or colder. Or no change if these were Hawaiiian type volcanoes oozing lava with less gas and ash output. Volcanoes go with everything. $\endgroup$
    – Willk
    Nov 27, 2022 at 18:37
  • $\begingroup$ No, I don't think that's it. Properties of x would be "general climate of the planet" (that's what the Q asks for). OP said nothing about monsters, and "lava pools" are an obvious given with volcanoes. $\endgroup$
    – BMF
    Nov 27, 2022 at 18:47
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    $\begingroup$ Your answer basically restates OP's dilemma (that volcanoes contribute to both global warming & cooling) and then draws no conclusions. Not very helpful imo. $\endgroup$
    – BMF
    Nov 27, 2022 at 18:49
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There is a real-world precedent for this. Earth has gone through periods (millions of years) of intense volcanic activity, notably around 250 million years ago. This was believed to have caused the largest mass extinction event (so far!) in the planet's history. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian%E2%80%93Triassic_extinction_event#Volcanism. It may be worth using this event for reference.

I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to say exactly what the overall effect would be without actually running computer simulations and deciding on exact set of measurements. Lots of things could probably tip the balance from one extreme to the other: exact solar output, exact distance from sun and other orbital characteristics, amount of liquid water on the surface, composition of volcanic material ejected, etc.

If the planet really was anything like Venus, though, that may be a problem, unless the biology of the local life forms is completely different.

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