Lightning rings and gravity waves: Insights into the giant eruption plumefrom Tonga’s Hunga Volcano on 15 January 2022
On 15 January 2022, Hunga Volcano in Tonga produced the most violent eruption in the modern satellite era, sending a water-rich plume at least 58 km high. Using a combination of satellite- and ground-based sensors, we investigate the astonishing rate of volcanic lightning (>2,600 flashes min−1) and what it reveals about the dynamics of the submarine eruption. In map view, lightning locations form radially expanding rings. We show that the initial lightning ring is co-located with an internal gravity wave traveling >80 m s−1 in the stratospheric umbrella cloud. Buoyant oscillations of the plume's overshooting top generated the gravity waves, which enhanced turbulent particle interactions and triggered high-current electrical discharges at unusually high altitudes. Our analysis attributes the intense lightning activity to an exceptional mass eruption rate (>5 × 109 kg s−1), rapidly expanding umbrella cloud, and entrainment of abundant seawater vaporized from magma-water interaction at the submarine vent.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2023 |
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Title | Lightning rings and gravity waves: Insights into the giant eruption plumefrom Tonga’s Hunga Volcano on 15 January 2022 |
DOI | 10.1029/2022GL102341 |
Authors | Alexa R. Van Eaton, Jeff Lapierre, Sonja A. Behnke, Chris Vagasky, Christopher J. Schultz, Michael J. Pavolonis, Kristopher Bedka, Konstantin Khlopenkov |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Geophysical Research Letters |
Index ID | 70245422 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Volcano Science Center |