Volcano vs. Man
Chemistry
Level
1
Which produces more carbon dioxide each year, human activity or volcanoes?
Human activity
Volcanoes
About the same
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1 solution
Studies conducted by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of Kilauea, a sleeping volcano, show daily discharges of 8,000 to 30,000 metric tons of C O X 2 .
Actively erupting volcanoes produce even more. Data collected worldwide suggest volcanoes release a total of 200 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. While 200 million tons may seem like a lot, the global fossil fuel emissions for 2003 were 26.8 billion tons.
Volcanic C O X 2 comprises less than 1 percent of global carbon emissions.
Source: United States Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory