Simulation Study of the 15 January 2022 Tonga Event: Development of Super Equatorial Plasma Bubbles

Abstract

We present high‐resolution simulation results of the response of the ionosphere/plasmasphere system to the 15 January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption. We use the coupled Sami3 is Also a Model of the Ionosphere ionosphere/plasmasphere model and the HIgh Altitude Mechanistic general Circulation Model whole atmosphere model with primary atmospheric gravity wave effects from the Model for gravity wavE SOurces, Ray trAcing and reConstruction model. We find that the Tonga eruption produced a “super” equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) extending ∼30° in longitude and up to 500 km in altitude with a density depletion of 3 orders of magnitude. We also found a “train” of EPBs developed and extended over the longitude range 150°–200° and that two EPBs reached altitudes over 4,000 km. The primary cause of this behavior is the significant modification of the zonal neutral wind caused by the atmospheric disturbance associated with the eruption, and the subsequent modification of the dynamo electric field.

The Ionospheric Effects of the 2022 Hunga Tonga Volcano Eruption and the Associated Impacts on GPS Precise Point Positioning Across the Australian Region

“…While the 30°‐wide EPB in Huba et al. (2022)'s simulation was not clearly observed in the present study (possibly due to its limited latitudinal extent), the observation of a longitudinally narrow, high‐altitude and low‐density structure over northeastern Australia is consistent with the very‐high‐altitude EPBs in Huba et al. (2022)'s study; noting the rather reasonable differences in observed versus modeled location.…”

“…(2022)'s simulation was not clearly observed in the present study (possibly due to its limited latitudinal extent), the observation of a longitudinally narrow, high‐altitude and low‐density structure over northeastern Australia is consistent with the very‐high‐altitude EPBs in Huba et al. (2022)'s study; noting the rather reasonable differences in observed versus modeled location. This structure over northeastern Australia thus fits the definition of a “super bubble” according to Ma and Maruyama (2006) and is in good agreement with the results of Rajesh et al.…”

“…Some key insights into how TIDs from the eruption caused unseasonal EPB activity in the western Pacific sector can be gained from recent work by Huba et al. (2022). In Huba et al.…”

“…In Huba et al. (2022)'s modeling analysis, waves launched by the eruption caused significant perturbations in the zonal neutral wind in the equatorial plane, which effectively modified the equatorial upward plasma drift and gave rise to a huge EPB that spanned 30° in longitude (between 140°E and 170°E). Huba et al.…”

Primary and Secondary Gravity Waves and Large‐Scale Wind Changes Generated by the Tonga Volcanic Eruption on 15 January 2022: Modeling and Comparison With ICON‐MIGHTI Winds

“…A companion paper inputted the HIAMCM neutral wind into SAMI3. They found that the Tonga event created a “super” equatorial plasma bubble that extended ∼30° in longitude and up to 500 km in altitude, and had a density depletion of three orders of magnitude (Huba et al., 2023).…”