愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Largest volcanic eruption in a century sent atmospheric waves around the world, study finds

Share

Scientists have found evidence that an underwater volcanic eruption in the South Pacific earlier this year, the biggest in decades, created pressure waves so strong they circled the planet multiple times and blasted through the Earth's atmosphere.

A team led by a researcher out of the University of California, Santa Barbara published a study this month in that examined the atmospheric waves generated by the eruption of the Hunga volcano in mid-January 2022, which created a tsunami that devastated the island nation of Tonga.

The scientists say it had been nearly 140 years since an eruption of that scale shook the Earth, going back to the 1883 Krakatau eruption in Indonesia.

The researchers say they were most interested in the behaviour of an atmospheric wave known as a Lamb wave, which was the dominant pressure wave produced by the Hunga eruption.

After the eruption, the researchers say the waves travelled along Earth's surface and circled the planet in one direction four times and in the opposite direction three times, similar to the Krakatau eruption.

The waves also reached the ionosphere, , rising more than 1,126 kilometres per hour to an altitude of approximately 450 kilometres.

The researchers say the Hunga volcanic eruption provided unprecedented insight into the behaviour of multiple atmospheric wave types.

"Lamb waves are rare. We have very few high-quality observations of them," study co-author David Fee from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute said .

"By understanding the Lamb wave, we can better understand the source and eruption."

Low-frequency Lamb waves are associated with the world's largest atmospheric explosions such as large eruptions and nuclear detonations, the team says, and can last from minutes to several hours.

Due to the low frequency of Lamb waves, the effect of gravity also must be taken into account when determining their travel.

"This atmospheric waves event was unprecedented in the modern geophysical record," lead author Robin Matoza, an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara's department of Earth science, said.

Matoza led a team of 76 scientists from 17 countries to study the atmospheric waves.

"We have more than a century of advances in instrumentation technology and global sensor density," Matoza said. "So the 2022 Hunga event provided an unparalleled global dataset for an explosion event of this size."

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.