During the day, the ionosphere is ionized by the Suns ultraviolet radiation, developing a density gradient of electrons with the greatest density near the equator. EPB can delay radio waves and degrade the efficiency of GPS.
Given that these density gradients can be affected by climatic waves, it has long been assumed that they are formed by terrestrial events such as volcanic activity. For a global team led by Designated Assistant Professor Atsuki Shinbori (he, him) and Professor Yoshizumi Miyoshi (he, him) of the Institute for Space– Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Nagoya University, in cooperation with NICT, The University of Electro-Communications, Tohoku University, Kanazawa University, Kyoto University and ISAS, the Tonga volcano eruption offered them an ideal chance to evaluate this theory.
The Tonga volcano eruption was the greatest submarine eruption in history. This enabled the group to check their theory utilizing the Arase satellite to detect EPB events, the Himawari-8 satellite to inspect the initial arrival of atmospheric pressure waves and ground-based ionospheric observations to track the movement of the ionosphere. They observed an irregular structure of the electron density across the equator that happened after the arrival of pressure waves produced by the volcanic eruption.
” The results of this research study showed EPBs created in the equatorial to low-latitude ionosphere in Asia in response to the arrival of pressure waves triggered by undersea volcanic eruptions off Tonga,” Shinbori said.
The group also made an unexpected discovery. For the very first time, they revealed that ionospheric variations begin a few minutes to a couple of hours earlier than the atmospheric pressure waves included in the generation of plasma bubbles. This might have essential ramifications because it suggests that the long-held design of geosphere-atmosphere-cosmosphere coupling, which specifies that ionospheric disturbances only take place after the eruption, needs revision.
” Our brand-new finding is that the ionospheric disruptions are observed numerous minutes to hours before the preliminary arrival of the shock waves triggered by the Tonga volcanic eruption,” Shinbori said. “This suggests that the propagation of the fast climatic waves in the ionosphere triggered the ionospheric disturbances before the initial arrival of the shock waves. Therefore, the model requires to be revised to account for these quick climatic waves in the ionosphere.”
They also found that the EPB extended much even more than anticipated by the standard models. “Previous research studies have revealed that the formation of plasma bubbles at such high elevations is an unusual incident, making this a really uncommon phenomenon,” Shinbori said. “We discovered that the EPB formed by this eruption reached space even beyond the ionosphere, recommending that we should take note of the connection in between the ionosphere and the cosmosphere when severe natural phenomenon, such as the Tonga occasion, take place.”
” The results of this research are significant not only from a clinical perspective but likewise from the perspective of space weather and catastrophe avoidance,” he said. “In the case of a large-scale event, such as the Tonga volcano eruption, observations have actually revealed that a hole in the ionosphere can form even under conditions that are thought about not likely to occur under normal scenarios. Such cases have actually not been included into space weather report models. This research study will add to the avoidance of satellite broadcasting and communication failures connected with ionospheric disturbances caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other events.”
Recommendation: “Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption” by Atsuki Shinbori, Takuya Sori, Yuichi Otsuka, Michi Nishioka, Septi Perwitasari, Takuo Tsuda, Atsushi Kumamoto, Fuminori Tsuchiya, Shoya Matsuda, Yoshiya Kasahara, Ayako Matsuoka, Satoko Nakamura, Yoshizumi Miyoshi and Iku Shinohara, 22 May 2023, Scientific Reports.DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-023-33603-3.
The Tonga volcano eruption was the greatest submarine eruption in history. They observed an irregular structure of the electron density throughout the equator that occurred after the arrival of pressure waves produced by the volcanic eruption.
” Our new finding is that the ionospheric disruptions are observed a number of minutes to hours before the initial arrival of the shock waves set off by the Tonga volcanic eruption,” Shinbori said. “We discovered that the EPB formed by this eruption reached space even beyond the ionosphere, recommending that we must pay attention to the connection in between the cosmosphere and the ionosphere when extreme natural phenomenon, such as the Tonga occasion, occur.”
“In the case of a massive event, such as the Tonga volcano eruption, observations have shown that a hole in the ionosphere can form even under conditions that are considered unlikely to occur under regular scenarios.
Eruption of Tonga undersea volcano found to disrupt satellite signals midway around the globe. Credit: ERG Science
Research study reveals that volcanic eruptions can produce plasma bubbles in the ionosphere, significantly disrupting satellite interaction. These findings trigger modifications to the present designs on ionospheric and atmospheric interactions.
An international group has used satellite- and ground-based ionospheric observations to demonstrate that an air pressure wave set off by volcanic eruptions could produce an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) in the ionosphere, severely interfering with satellite-based interactions. Their findings will be published today (May 22) in the journal Scientific Reports.
The ionosphere is the area of the Earths upper atmosphere where atoms and particles are ionized by solar radiation, creating positively charged ions. The area with the greatest concentration of ionized particles is called the F-region, an area 150 to 800 km above the Earths surface. The F-region plays an important function in long-distance radio communication, reflecting and refracting radio waves utilized by satellite and GPS tracking systems back to the Earths surface area.