Solid Earth-atmosphere interaction forces during the 15 January 2022 Tonga eruption.

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Volcanology
• Seismology

Background:

• The 15 January 2022 Tonga eruption produced a powerful atmospheric Lamb wave.
• Volcanic eruptions can generate significant forces impacting the solid Earth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the forces exerted on the Earth during the Tonga eruption.
• To understand the seismic wave generation mechanisms from volcanic explosions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of teleseismic P waves and Rayleigh waves with periods <50 s.
• Modeling of atmospheric acoustic-gravity waves and their interaction with the solid Earth.

Main Results:

• Impulsive downward reaction forces on Earth reached ~2.0 × 10^13 N.
• Seismic waves radiated globally, with source bursts lasting ~4.5 hours.
• Atmospheric standing acoustic waves generated oscillatory forces up to 4 × 10^12 N, exciting Earth Rayleigh waves.

Conclusions:

• The Tonga eruption's force dynamics provide crucial insights into volcanic eruption processes.
• Atmospheric waves from eruptions can drive significant seismic and tsunami activity.