Further Development Of Tonga Eruption, Largest Volcanic Eruption Of The 21st Century Thusfar
Dear Friends & Neighbors,
Animation of the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption recorded on 15 January 2022 by Japan’s Himawari-8 weather satellite. Satellite animation of the initial ash plume and shockwave on 15 January over a period of 1 hour and 40 minutes. This image spans approximately 1,000 km on each side, and the eruption plume is just under 500 km across. (Attribution: Japan Meteorological Agency/NASA SPORT, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Tonga relief location map. Hunga Tonga is located in Tonga (Attribution: Eric Gaba (Sting – fr:Sting), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en, Presented at: WindermereSun.com)
(Please click on red links & note magenta)
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The Pacific island nation of Tonga has virtually cut off from the rest of the world after Saturday’s volcanic eruption damaged the country’s internet cable. The full extent of the damage to the country remains unclear. New Zealand and Australia have sent military planes to survey the situation from above. Other flights to deliver aid are also planned. The underwater eruption on Saturday sent shockwaves across the Pacific. Tsunami warnings were issued for many countries, as far away as Peru. There, two people drowned after unusually high waves hit the west coast of the Americas, in the video published on Jan 17, 2022, “Tonga volcano eruption damage unclear, communications cut off | DW News“, below:
Another large eruption has been detected at the Tonga volcano, two days after a massive eruption triggered tsunami waves around the Pacific, in the video published on Jan 17, 2022, “Tonga calls for ‘immediate aid’ as another large eruption detected | Volcano | Latest English News“, below:
Weather Update: Tsunami impacts on the east coast of Australia. Video current: 4.30 pm AEDT 17 Jan 2022, in the video published on Jan 17, 2022, “Weather Update: Tsunami impacts on the east coast of Australia – 17 Jan 2022“, below:
A massive underwater volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash into the atmosphere and triggered a tsunami warning across the Pacific over the weekend. The scope of the damage on the island of Tonga is still unclear. CBSN’s Vladimir Duthiers has more, in the video published on Jan 17, 2022, “Massive underwater volcano triggers tsunami, causing damage in Tonga“, below:
A large underwater volcano in Tonga has sent huge swells around the world affecting countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, in the video published on Jan 16, 2022, “How the Tonga volcano has been felt around the world“, below:
Tongan geologists watched a massive plume of ash rise in the sky during a continuous eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on Jan. 14. The Tonga Geological Services released images of what they said was a 5 km wide column of ash, gas, and steam rising 18-20 km above sea level. On Saturday, Jan. 15, a further volcanic eruption triggered tsunami alerts for several Pacific nations, Australia, New Zealand and on the Pacific coastlines of Japan and the U.S., in the video published on Jan 16, 2022, “Tonga underwater volcano eruption triggers tsunami advisories“, below:
Santa Cruz braces for tsunami: A decade after similar disaster causes millions in damages, in the video published on Jan 15, 2022, “Santa Cruz braces for tsunami: A decade after similar disaster causes millions in damages“, below:
To better understand the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami, please refer to the excerpt from wikipedia and/or click on the red link, in italics, below:
On 14 January 2022, a very large eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, an uninhabited volcanic island of the Tongan archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, began. Hunga Tonga is 65 km (40 mi) north of Tongatapu, the country’s main island,[1] and is part of the highly active Tonga–Kermadec Islands volcanic arc, a subduction zone extending from New Zealand north-northeast to Fiji.[2][3] The eruption caused tsunamis in Tonga, Fiji, American Samoa, Vanuatu and along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, including damaging tsunamis in New Zealand, the United States, Chile and Peru. People remain missing in Fiji, two people drowned in Peru when a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wave struck the coast, and two fishermen in the United States suffered minor injuries. The event is likely the largest volcanic eruption of the 21st century as of January 2022.[4
After being relatively inactive since 2014,[5] the Hunga Tonga volcano erupted on 20 December 2021, sending particulates into the stratosphere. A large plume of ash was visible from Nukuʻalofa, the capital city of Tonga, about 70 km (45 mi) from the volcano.[6] The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in Wellington, New Zealand, issued an advisory notice to airlines.[7] The eruption was heard more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) away in New Zealand, where the sound arrived two hours later.[8] This initial eruption ended at 02:00 on 21 December 2021.[6] Volcanic activity continued, and on 25 December 2021, the island had increased in size on satellite imagery.[9] As activity on the island decreased, it was declared dormant on 11 January 2022.[10][11]
Preliminary observations showed that the eruption column ejected a large amount of volcanic material into the stratosphere, leading to speculation that it would cause a temporary cooling climate effect.[34] Later calculations showed it injected an estimated 0.4 teragrams of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere and was unlikely to have any global cooling effect.[35] Despite this, the eruption can have a cooling effect in the Southern Hemisphere, causing slightly cooling winters and spectacular sunsets. According to climate scientist Jim Salinger, people living in the Southern Hemisphere can expect purple sunsets a few months after the eruption. A cooling effect of 0.1–0.5 °C may last until spring.[36] Shane Cronin, volcanologist from the University of Auckland, described the eruption as a one-in-1000-year event for the Hunga caldera, and stated that the event could rank as high as 5 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.[37][38][4]
Tsunamis are typically triggered by earthquakes, not volcanoes.[39][40] Fewer than 100 volcanic tsunamis were recorded in the prior two centuries.[39]
As a result of the eruption, a 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) tsunami[41] struck the Tongan capital Nukuʻalofa.[10][42] Tide gauges in the city recorded waves 1.5–2 m (4 ft 11 in–6 ft 7 in) in height.[43] Videos posted on the Internet showed a series of waves hitting the shore and homes, sweeping away debris.[44] Other videos show ashfall and a cloud of ash obscuring the sun.[10] According to a resident in the Tongan capital, a series of initial smaller explosions were heard. It was followed by a tsunami approximately 15 minutes later. The first wave was said to be the largest. A long white wave was observed out at sea approaching the coast. Three waves reportedly struck the coast.[45] In the wake of the tsunami, King Tupou VI was evacuated from the Royal Palace and traffic jams formed as locals fled to high ground.[46]
Based on an unofficial first hand account of the tsunami in Tonga, Risklayer developed a tsunami inundation map. From the map, a tsunami with a height of 15 m (49 ft) or greater may have struck the west coast of the island of Tongatapu, where heavy damage was inflicted.[47]
In Fiji, a tidal gauge in Suva recorded a wave measuring 20 cm (7.9 in) at 17:40 local time. Some tsunami activity was also reported in the Lau Islands.[43] The islands of Moce, Moala, Kadavu and Taveuni were struck by low-level tsunamis that triggered flooding.[48]
In American Samoa, a tsunami measuring 61 cm (24 in) was recorded by tide gauges.[23] Niue, where residents evacuated coastal areas, reported no tsunami, despite tremors and the island’s close proximity to Tonga.[22] In Wallis and Futuna, a tsunami warning was issued, but no damage was reported and the alert was lifted in the evening of 15 January 2022.[49]
Destructive tsunami waves of 1–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in–8 ft 2 in) were observed in several islands in Vanuatu. The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department said tsunami activity was expected to persist for the night of 15 January 2022.[50] Waves up to 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) in height were recorded in Hanalei, Hawaii.[51]
The tsunami caused extensive damage at a marina in Tutukaka in New Zealand.[52] The waves pulled boats away from their moorings, taking some out into the bay and smashing some together, as well as damaging the structures at the marina. About eight to ten boats were completely sunken, with the total damage estimated to be worth millions of dollars.[53] According to Hauraki Gulf Weather, the tsunami struck on 16 January at between 01:05 and 01:10 local time on Great Barrier Island with a height of 1.33 m (4 ft 4 in).[54] The tsunami caused flooding at Mahinepua Bay, where a campsite was located; all 50 individuals at the site were safe. A group of fishermen in Hokianga Harbour had to run for their lives to escape the waves, and reported having to drive through water over 1 m (3 ft 3 in) deep.[55] There were no casualties reported in New Zealand.[56]
In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology said tsunami waves were observed throughout Saturday night on the shores along the east coast of Australia.[57] Maximum tsunami waves of 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in) were recorded at Norfolk Island, 1.10 m (3 ft 7 in) at Lord Howe Island, 0.82 m (2 ft 8 in) at the Gold Coast, Queensland, 0.77 m (2 ft 6 in) at Twofold Bay, New South Wales and 0.50 m (1 ft 8 in) at Hobart, Tasmania.[58][59]
In Kominato, Amami, Kagoshima, Japan, a 1.2-metre (3 ft 11 in) tsunami was reported at 23:55 on 15 January JST. At Tosashimizu, Kōchi, the tsunami was 0.9 metres (2 ft 11 in) in height.[60][61] A tsunami measuring 0.9 metres (2 ft 11 in) was also reported in Chichijima Futami.[62] On the Tohoku coast, a 0.7-metre (2 ft 4 in) wave struck at 00:38 local time, on 16 January. In the Sendai Port, the tsunami measured 0.9 metres (2 ft 11 in) at 00:08.[63] In Iwate Prefecture, a 1.1-metre tsunami was recorded at 02:26 on 16 January. Tsunami waves of less than a metre were reported along the Hokkaido Pacific coast. This was the nation’s first tsunami warning since the 2016 Fukushima earthquake.[64] The JMA said that the tsunami struck 2.5 hours earlier than predicted.[65]
In Jeju Island, South Korea, there were fluctuations of up a 15–20-centimetre (5.9–7.9 in) in the sea level.[66]
Russia’s Kuril Islands in the country’s far east had tsunami waves of about 20 centimetres (8 in).[67][68] At least two ports were warned.[68]
In Peru, two people were killed in Lambayeque where the tsunami measured 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).[69] Waves measuring 0.68 metres (2 ft 3 in) were recorded in the port of Callao, 0.72 metres (2 ft 4 in) in Marcona District and 0.65 metres (2 ft 2 in) in Paita.[70]
The highest tsunami waves in the United States were 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) in Port San Luis in San Luis Obispo County (Southern California) and 1.1 metres (3.7 ft) in both Arena Cove and Crescent City (Northern California).[67][71] Significant waves hit the Santa Cruz Harbor,[72] and its parking lot was flooded with about 0.91 metres (3 ft) of water,[71] whereas Soquel Creek in the neighboring city of Capitola flowed backwards.[73] A surfing competition was cancelled.[74] Strong currents in Half Moon Bay were reported,[72] while small waves were observed at Seal Beach.[75] Waves up to 0.37 metres (1.2 ft) in height were recorded in Nikolski, Alaska.[76]
There was an unusually high tide along the coasts of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. At 11:55 local time, the PTWC said tide levels rose 29 cm in Winter Harbour. Large tree logs were pushed up by the high tides and left onto the beaches.[77]
On the Mexican coasts of the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Baja California Peninsula, sea level rise was reported with waves of 0.30 metres (1 ft) to 0.61 metres (2 ft).[78] A maximum tide level of 2.05 metres (6 ft 9 in) was measured at Manzanillo, Colima, according to the Mareographic Service of the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The tsunami had an amplitude of 1.19 metres in Zihuatanejo. Waves of just under 1 metre were recorded in Acapulco, Huatulco and Salina Cruz.[79]
In northern Chile, waves of up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) struck the coastline. Videos and images on social media from the Los Ríos Region showed the tsunami damaging piers, carrying boats and hitting beaches.[80] A tsunami of 1.74 meters was measured at Chañaral.[81]
Minor tsunamis were measured as far away as the Caribbean Sea and Texas, with NOAA reporting a maximum rise of 12 cm (4.7 in) at the Isla de Mona in Puerto Rico at 16:11 UTC.[82] These may have been meteo-tsunamis related to slight atmospheric pressure changes.[83]
16 January
A tsunami advisory was issued to American Samoa following a new eruption at the volcano. The advisory was cancelled almost two hours later.[113] A tsunami alert that was issued to Fiji on 15 January was canceled.[114]
17 January
The Department of Environment in Fiji confirmed that the sulphur dioxide concentration in the atmosphere increased overnight. As previously advised, the department urged the public to cover all household water tanks and stay indoors in the event of acid rain. The Ministry of Environment also advised the public not to consume rainwater.[115][116]
For more details about impact of 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami, please click HERE.
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