%0 Journal Article
%A Wright, Corwin J.
%A Hindley, Neil P.
%A Alexander, M. Joan
%A Barlow, Mathew
%A Hoffmann, Lars
%A Mitchell, Cathryn N.
%A Prata, Fred
%A Bouillon, Marie
%A Carstens, Justin
%A Clerbaux, Cathy
%A Osprey, Scott M.
%A Powell, Nick
%A Randall, Cora E.
%A Yue, Jia
%T Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption
%J Nature 
%V 609
%@ 0028-0836
%C London [u.a.]
%I Nature Publ. Group
%M FZJ-2022-02609
%P 741–746
%D 2022
%X The January 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era, producing a vertical plume which peaked > 50 km above the Earth. The initial explosion and subsequent plume triggered atmospheric waves which propagated around the world multiple times. 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 propagating at phase speeds of 318.2±6 m/s at surface level and between 308±5 to 319±4 m/s in the stratosphere, and gravity waves propagating at 238±3 to 269±3 m/s 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. Latent heat release from the plume remained the most significant individual gravity wave source worldwide for > 12 hours, 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.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ 35772670
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000854445900001
%R 10.1038/s41586-022-05012-5
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/908443