The Hunga eruption image is from the GOES-17 satellite of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Credit: NOAA
Research Findings on Hunga Eruption
Michael Clare and associates have actually looked for to fill this knowledge space by evaluating the undersea volcaniclastic flows from the 2022 Hunga eruption in Tonga. Their analysis exposed that the material ejected during the Hunga eruption collapsed vertically and directly into the ocean and formed a extremely harmful and extremely quick underwater particles circulation.
According to their findings, the submarine density existing traveled over 100 kilometers across the seafloor at speeds reaching up to 122 kilometers per hour (76 miles per hour). In addition, these volcanoclastic currents dramatically modified the seafloor around the Hunga volcano, creating scours and channels much deeper than 100 meters (330 feet) in the seabed. These kinds of landforms, observed around many immersed volcanoes, indicate that substantial undersea flows have occurred during major eruptions at other areas worldwide.
Significance for Future Risk Assessment
” Ultimately, the Hunga volcano will be a vital case research study for better understanding the risk that undersea and shallow-water volcanoes pose to the submarine environment and important seafloor infrastructure,” write Rebecca Williams and Pete Rowley in a related Perspective.
Recommendation: “Fast and destructive density currents developed by ocean-entering volcanic eruptions” by Michael A. Clare, Isobel A. Yeo, Sally Watson, Richard Wysoczanski, Sarah Seabrook, Kevin Mackay, James E. Hunt, Emily Lane, Peter J. Talling, Edward Pope, Shane Cronin, Marta Ribó, Taaniela Kula, David Tappin, Stuart Henrys, Cornel de Ronde, Morelia Urlaub, Stefan Kutterolf, Samuiela Fonua, Semisi Panuve, Dean Veverka, Ronald Rapp, Valey Kamalov and Michael Williams, 7 September 2023, Science.DOI: 10.1126/ science.adi3038.
Michael Clare and coworkers have sought to fill this understanding gap by examining the underwater volcaniclastic flows from the 2022 Hunga eruption in Tonga. Their analysis revealed that the material ejected during the Hunga eruption collapsed vertically and straight into the ocean and formed a exceptionally quick and extremely damaging underwater debris circulation.
These types of landforms, observed around numerous immersed volcanoes, indicate that substantial underwater circulations have actually happened during major eruptions at other locations worldwide.
Most of Earths volcanoes are underwater, explosive underwater eruptions remain improperly understood, which restricts knowledge of the dangers they posture.
This looping video reveals a series of GOES-17 satellite images that caught an umbrella cloud created by the underwater eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano on January 15, 2022. Crescent-shaped bow shock waves and various lighting strikes are likewise noticeable. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens using GOES imagery courtesy of NOAA and NESDIS
The 2022 Hunga eruption in Tonga highlighted the harmful potential of underwater volcanic flows, severing undersea cable televisions and transforming the seafloor, with dangers crossing 100 km from the eruption site.
In 2022, the submerged Hunga Tonga– Hunga Haapai volcano erupted, setting off a harmful and fast-moving undersea debris circulation. The findings from this eruption are among the very first field studies to document the impacts of big volumes of volcanic product released directly into the ocean.
Understanding Underwater Volcanic Eruptions
Explosive volcanic eruptions on land produce pyroclastic streams composed of hot ash and rock. When these circulations reach the ocean, they can trigger destructive tsunamis, surges, and turbidity currents, positioning risks to undersea infrastructure and marine communities. Most of Earths volcanoes are underwater, explosive underwater eruptions stay inadequately understood, which limits understanding of the dangers they posture.