Stratospheric Balloon Observations of Infrasound Waves From the 15 January 2022 Hunga Eruption, Tonga

Abstract

Over the next hour, the volcanic plume penetrated deep into the atmosphere, reaching the stratopause and beyond (up to 58 km), whereas the umbrella cloud spread at approximately 35 km to form a 600 km diameter disk (Carr et al., 2022;Proud et al., 2022). The altitude of volcanic overshoots, the height and extent of the umbrella cloud set a new record for volcanic eruptions over the satellite era, overtaking Mount Pinatubo and its maximum reported plume height of 40 km (Holasek et al., 1996). The plume generated a large perturbation of the stratospheric aerosol layer and stratospheric composition (Millán et al., 2022), with likely substantial radiative impacts (Sellitto et al., 2022).Besides triggering globally detected surface seismic waves (

The unexpected radiative impact of the Hunga Tonga eruption of 15th January 2022

“…1). The HT volcano violently erupted on 15th January, with a number of distinct explosive episodes beginning at 04:15 UTC 4,5 . A volcanic umbrella formed during the first hours after the eruption, representing a combined signal across this extremely explosive phase.…”

“…ajor volcanic eruptions emit gas and aerosol pollutants into the stratosphere, which have substantial impact on the atmospheric radiative balance and the climate system [1][2][3] . After a phase of volcanic unrest starting from end December 2021, and strong explosions on 14th January 2022, removing the aerial part of the volcano, the submarine Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HT) volcano (20.57°S, 175.38°W) violently erupted on 15th January 2022, with a series of explosions from approximately 04:00 to 05:00 UTC 4,5 . The eruption produced tsunamis over a large area of the Pacific Ocean, as far as Peru 6 , and atmospheric shockwaves that propagated around the globe 4,7,8 .…”

“…After a phase of volcanic unrest starting from end December 2021, and strong explosions on 14th January 2022, removing the aerial part of the volcano, the submarine Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HT) volcano (20.57°S, 175.38°W) violently erupted on 15th January 2022, with a series of explosions from approximately 04:00 to 05:00 UTC 4,5 . The eruption produced tsunamis over a large area of the Pacific Ocean, as far as Peru 6 , and atmospheric shockwaves that propagated around the globe 4,7,8 . Based on stereoscopic geostationary satellite observations, the overshooting top of the plume was observed at altitudes over 50 km, a record in the satellite era 9 .…”

Responses of the AC/DC Global Electric Circuit to Volcanic Electrical Activity in the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai Eruption on 15 January 2022

“…Podglajen et al. (2022) studied balloon‐borne infrasound data. The estimated range of time points of the inferred explosions are shown in Figures 3c and 3d.…”

“…investigated infrasonic emission globally Astafyeva et al (2022). deduced conclusions from ionospheric total electron content variations Podglajen et al (2022). studied balloon-borne infrasound data.…”