India, Sept. 1 -- Wildfires and volcanic eruptions have long been known to affect the Earth's climate by releasing smoke, greenhouse gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. A new study has found that both events can also have significant indirect impacts on the planet by increasing the amount of water vapour entering the stratosphere.

The July 1 study, published in the journal Nature by researchers from China and the US, explored how moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires contribute to atmospheric water vapour, a greenhouse gas (GHG). The scientists found that between 2005 and 2021, these sources increased stratospheric water vapour by 76-203 million tonnes at 83 hectopascals (hPa, a unit used to measure atmospheric pressure t...