In 1815 a volcano erupted spewing billions of tons of ash into the sky. this ash “cloud” caused global annual temperatures to drop below normal, causing “a year without a summer” in 1816. which sphere did this ash cloud affect to cause these changes?
a. hydrosphere: because the ice in the ash caused the sun’s radiation to reflect off
b. atmosphere: because the ash blocked more radiation than normal, not allowing it to reach the surface
c. atmosphere: because the ash allowed more radiation than normal to reach the surface
d. hydrosphere: because the water in the ash absorbed the sun’s radiation

B. atmosphere: because the ash blocked more radiation than normal, not allowing it to reach the surface

Explanation:

The volcanoes are one of the major factors that shape the climate on Earth. Their influence can be more moderate and gradual, or it can very big and abrupt. The large volcanic eruptions manage to cause changes in the global climate very quickly. The reason for this is that they have big influence on the atmosphere. By releasing lot of ashes and small particles into the atmosphere, a layer of them is formed around the Earth. This layer had greater albedo, thus it is reflecting the sunlight instead of letting it go through. This causes rapid drop in the global temperatures, and as was the case in 1815, it resulted in a year without summer. If the volcanic eruption is very big and comes from a super-volcano, than it can have much longer impact, lasting for decades or even centuries.