1. Ocean‐Ionosphere Disturbances Due To the 15 January 2022 Hunga‐Tonga Hunga‐Ha'apai Eruption.
- Author
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Ravanelli, M., Astafyeva, E., Munaibari, E., Rolland, L., and Mikesell, T. D.
- Subjects
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VOLCANIC eruptions , *LAMB waves , *TSUNAMIS , *ATMOSPHERIC waves , *THEORY of wave motion , *OCEAN waves , *IONOSPHERE - Abstract
We investigate the oceanic and ionospheric response in New Caledonia‐New Zealand and Chile‐Argentina to the 15 January 2022 Hunga‐Tonga volcanic eruption. For the first time, we highlight a reversed response in the oceans and in the ionosphere in terms of the amplitudes. The sea‐surface fluctuations due to the passage of the atmospheric Lamb wave (i.e., air‐sea wave) were not remarkable while the related ionospheric perturbation was considerable. Reversely, the eruption‐induced tsunami ("regular" tsunami) caused major variations in sea‐surface heights (∼1 m near the volcano and ∼2 m along the Chilean coastline), whereas the associated ionospheric perturbation was quite small. The observed large‐amplitude ionospheric response due to Lamb waves propagation is difficult to explain, and the coupling between the Lamb wave and the ionosphere is not well‐understood yet. For the first time, we estimate the delay between the Lamb waves and their signatures in the ionosphere to be ∼12–20 min. Plain Language Summary: The eruption of Hunga‐Tonga volcano produced a variety of atmospheric and tsunami waves recorded all over the world. We study the impacts of the eruption together on the oceans and in the ionosphere in New Caledonia‐New Zealand (near the volcano) and Chile‐Argentina (far from the volcano). At the sea surface, we observe two phenomena causing sea‐height variations. The first is a small tsunami (air‐sea wave) created by the Lamb wave: the high‐pressure atmospheric wave triggered by the eruption. The second is the tsunami induced by the eruption itself. Spectacularly, at 300 km altitude, in the ionosphere, we observe perturbations in the electron content caused by the Lamb wave and by the regular tsunami. We are the first to report on the reversed amplitude of the two phenomena in the oceans and in the ionosphere. The sea‐surface perturbation caused by the Lamb wave was not significant, while ionospheric perturbation was considerable. In contrast, the regular tsunami wave produced major variations. For the first time, we estimate the time delay between the Lamb wave and its signature in the ionosphere. Key Points: Joint study of oceanic and ionospheric response in New Caledonia‐New Zealand and Chile‐Argentina to the 15 January 2022 volcanic eruptionNear‐surface propagating Lamb wave caused a small tsunami in the ocean (air‐sea wave) and unusually strong disturbances in the ionosphereInversely, the eruption‐generated tsunami showed significant wave heights in the ocean and much smaller response in the ionosphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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