The 1991 Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines caused brilliantly colored sunrises and sunsets to be seen for the next few years. What caused this phenomenon? The eruption added large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The eruptive cloud destroyed parts of the Earth's protective ozone layer. Radioactive atoms blown into the atmosphere glowed red as they decayed. Sulfur dioxide and other erupted gases formed aerosols in the stratosphere.