Colloquium on: Effect of a Nearby Supernova on Earth’s Atmosphere and Climate
On the 25th of May 2023, The Cyprus Institute hosted at its premises in hybrid form, the colloquium entitled Effect of a Nearby Supernova on Earth’s Atmosphere and Climate delivered by the Assoc. Prof. of the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) Dr. Theodoros Christoudias.
Dr. Christoudias, explained that Supernova within a distance of 300 light years (or 100 parsec) from the Earth are considered “nearby”, implicated with catastrophic impacts on life through gamma ray bursts and long-lasting, ionizing galactic radiation. He also made reference to previous studies that were inconclusive, in particular about the consequences on the stratospheric ozone layer through the generation of nitrogen and hydrogen oxides, and on the climate through new particle and cloud formation.
The CLOUD experiment at CERN and comprehensive atmospheric chemistry – climate modelling can be used to investigate if stabilizing feedbacks in the Earth system moderate the impacts, preventing cataclysms such as mass extinctions.
You can watch the full colloquium in the following link: Colloquium: Effect of a Nearby Supernova on Earth’s Atmosphere and Climate – YouTube
