Summary

In "Up in the Air," Chapter 2, the author describes the Volcanic Explosivity Index. Much like the Richter scale does with earthquakes, the index is meant to categorize the magnitude of volcanoes. The "eruption of Mount Tambora" was one of the few magnitude seven eruptions (165). It erupted in 1815, killing 10,000 people, and destroying the surrounding area. The volcano also "released more than a hundred million tons of gas and fine particles," which drifted around the world "on stratospheric winds" (166). This atmospheric debris changed the color of sunsets and turned the weather "gray and cold" (167).

Kolbert visits Cambridge to meet with Frank Keutsch, a chemist involved with Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program (168). He explains the "premise behind solar geoengineering" (168). He says that just like volcanoes "can cool the world, people can, too" (168). Geoengineers are attempting to throw similar particles into the air...