[3] The powerful 1982 explosive eruptions of high-sulfur, anhydrite-bearing magma destroyed the summit lava dome and were accompanied by pyroclastic flows and surges that devastated an area extending about 8 km around the volcano.

The eruption caused natural dams to form along the Rio Magdalena river, inducing lahars, which destroyed key infrastructure.

[6] However, climate modeling and detailed studies of past eruptions and El Niño have shown that there are no plausible theories connecting these two events, and that the timing was merely a coincidence.

[6] As a result of the simultaneous eruption and El Niño, the climate felt the impacts of both, making it challenging to separate their effects on temperature.

[4] The climatic effects also triggered winter warming patterns observed within northern hemisphere continents in 1982 and 1983, with temperatures increasing over North America, Europe, and Siberia.

During the same winter, Alaska, Greenland, the Middle East, and China witnessed colder temperatures than normal, highlighting regional variation.

[6] The westerly drift of the El Chichon eruption cloud had significant impact on Hong Kong's 1982 annual rainfall causing the second wettest year (3247.5mm) since record began in 1884.

[8] Satellite tracking showed the stratospheric cloud was above Hong Kong on 16 April 1982 which coincided with the record low humidity measured at ground level.

This is problematic, since ash samples are collected from the ground in order for the optical and chemical properties to be measured which too will vary with distance from the volcano.