Today in our geology lecture, we're discussing how volcanoes affect climate. You might think eruptions only cause destruction, but they also release sulfur dioxide gas into the stratosphere. This gas forms tiny particles that reflect sunlight back into space, which can actually cool the Earth's surface for a year or two. However, the effect is temporary, and once the particles fall back to the ground, temperatures return to normal. Interestingly, larger eruptions, like the one in 1815 at Mount Tambora, led to what was called 'the year without a summer' in Europe and North America, causing crop failures and food shortages.