The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai hydration of the stratosphere

Abstract

<p>Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai, a submarine volcano in the South Pacific, reached an eruption climax on 15 January 2022. The blast sent a plume of ash well into the stratosphere, triggered tsunami alerts across the world, and caused ionospheric disturbances. A few hours after the violent eruption, the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measured enhanced values of water vapor at altitudes as high as 50 km - near the stratopause.<br>On the following days, as the plume dispersed, several MLS chemical species, including H<sub>2</sub>O and SO<sub>2</sub>, displayed elevated values, far exceeding any previous values in the 18-year record. In this presentation we discuss the validity of these measurements, the stratospheric evolution of the SO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O plumes, and, lastly, the implications of the large-scale hydration of the stratosphere by the eruption.</p>