Dataset Information

Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption.

ABSTRACT: The January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era^1,2, producing a vertical plume that peaked more than 50 km above the Earth³. The initial explosion and subsequent plume triggered atmospheric waves that propagated around the world multiple times⁴. A global-scale wave response of this magnitude from a single source has not previously been observed. Here we show the details of this response, using a comprehensive set of satellite and ground-based observations to quantify it from surface to ionosphere. A broad spectrum of waves was triggered by the initial explosion, including Lamb waves^5,6 propagating at phase speeds of 318.2 ± 6 m s^-1 at surface level and between 308 ± 5 to 319 ± 4 m s^-1 in the stratosphere, and gravity waves⁷ propagating at 238 ± 3 to 269 ± 3 m s^-1 in the stratosphere. Gravity waves at sub-ionospheric heights have not previously been observed propagating at this speed or over the whole Earth from a single source^8,9. Latent heat release from the plume remained the most significant individual gravity wave source worldwide for more than 12 h, producing circular wavefronts visible across the Pacific basin in satellite observations. A single source dominating such a large region is also unique in the observational record. The Hunga Tonga eruption represents a key natural experiment in how the atmosphere responds to a sudden point-source-driven state change, which will be of use for improving weather and climate models.

SUBMITTER: Wright CJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9492537 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption.

Wright Corwin J CJ Hindley Neil P NP Alexander M Joan MJ Barlow Mathew M Hoffmann Lars L Mitchell Cathryn N CN Prata Fred F Bouillon Marie M Carstens Justin J Clerbaux Cathy C Osprey Scott M SM Powell Nick N Randall Cora E CE Yue Jia J

Nature 20220630 7928

The January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era1,2, producing a vertical plume that peaked more than 50 km above the Earth3. The initial explosion and subsequent plume triggered atmospheric waves that propagated around the world multiple times4. A global-scale wave response of this magnitude from a single source has not previously been observed. Here we show the details of this response, using a ...[more]

PMID: 35772670

Similar Datasets

Project description:Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai had a large eruption (VEI 5-6) on 15 January 2022, which caused a tsunami recorded in all ocean basins. Costa Rica has made many advances in tsunami preparation over the past 9 years since the creation of SINAMOT (Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Tsunamis, National Tsunami Monitoring System), both on watch and warning protocols and on community preparedness. For the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai event, the government declared a low-threat warning, suspending all in-water activities, even though the country did not receive any official warning from PTWC (Pacific Tsunami Warning Center) due to the lack of procedures for tsunamis generated by volcanoes. The tsunami was observed at 24 locations on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica, becoming the second most recorded tsunami in the country, after the 1991 Limon tsunami along the Caribbean coast. At 22 of those locations along the continental Pacific coast, observations were made by eyewitnesses, including one collocated with the sea level station at Quepos, which registered the tsunami. At Cocos Island (~ 500 km southwest of the continental Costa Rica, in the Pacific Ocean), several eyewitnesses reported the tsunami at two locations, and it was recorded at the sea level station. The tsunami was also recorded at the sea level station on the Caribbean coast. The tsunami effects reported were a combination of sea level fluctuations, strong currents, and coastal erosion, proving that the response actions were adequate for the size of the tsunami. Tsunami preparedness and the largest waves arriving during a dry season Saturday afternoon allowed the large number of eyewitness reports. This event then increased tsunami awareness in the country and tested protocols and procedures. Still, many people along the coast were not informed of the tsunami during the alert due to their remote location, the short notice of the warning, and a lack of procedures for some communities. There is thus still much work to do, particularly about warning dissemination, a direction in which communities should take an active role.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00445-023-01648-x.

Dataset Information

Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption.

Publications

Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets