Citation

Matoza RS, Fee D, Assink JD, Iezzi AM, Green DN, Kim K, Toney L, Lecocq T, Krishnamoorthy S, Lalande JM, Nishida K, Gee KL, Haney MM, Ortiz HD, Brissaud Q, Martire L, Rolland L, Vergados P, Nippress A, Park J, Shani-Kadmiel S, Witsil A, Arrowsmith S, Caudron C, Watada S, Perttu AB, Taisne B, Mialle P, Le Pichon A, Vergoz J, Hupe P, Blom PS, Waxler R, De Angelis S, Snively JB, Ringler AT, Anthony RE, Jolly AD, Kilgour G, Averbuch G, Ripepe M, Ichihara M, Arciniega-Ceballos A, Astafyeva E, Ceranna L, Cevuard S, Che IY, De Negri R, Ebeling CW, Evers LG, Franco-Marin LE, Gabrielson TB, Hafner K, Harrison RG, Komjathy A, Lacanna G, Lyons J, Macpherson KA, Marchetti E, McKee KF, Mellors RJ, Mendo-Pérez G, Mikesell TD, Munaibari E, Oyola-Merced M, Park I, Pilger C, Ramos C, Ruiz MC, Sabatini R, Schwaiger HF, Tailpied D, Talmadge C, Vidot J, Webster J, Wilson DC. Science 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Association for the Advancement of Science)

DOI

10.1126/science.abo7063

PMID

35549311

Abstract

The 15 January 2022 climactic eruption of Hunga volcano, Tonga, produced an explosion in the atmosphere of a size that has not been documented in the modern geophysical record. The event generated a broad range of atmospheric waves observed globally by various ground-based and spaceborne instrumentation networks. Most prominent is the surface-guided Lamb wave ([Formula: see text]0.01 Hz), which we observed propagating for four (+three antipodal) passages around the Earth over six days. Based on Lamb wave amplitudes, the climactic Hunga explosion was comparable in size to that of the 1883 Krakatau eruption. The Hunga eruption produced remarkable globally-detected infrasound (0.01-20 Hz), long-range (~10,000 km) audible sound, and ionospheric perturbations. Seismometers worldwide recorded pure seismic and air-to-ground coupled waves. Air-to-sea coupling likely contributed to fast-arriving tsunamis. We highlight exceptional observations of the atmospheric waves.

Language: en