The cause of the gargantuan underwater eruption that occur off the coast of Tonga in early 2022 may finally have been identify , and it ’s befittingly wild . Using techniques that were developed to measure the force of secret explosion , the authors of a new study advise that the issue was triggered by a somewhat strange mental process not typically associated with eruption of this kind .
" Our findings confirm there was an blowup , peradventure due to a gas - compressed rock , which released vigour that equal to five of the turgid underground atomic explosions transmit by North Korea in 2017 , " explained study author Jinyin Hu in astatement .
On January 15 , 2022 , the Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha’apai volcano blew its top with such force that theEarth ’s atmosphere became fill with water , resulting in the creation of a young hole in the ozone bed . The eruption – which occur beneath the Pacific Ocean – absolutely smash a series of records , producing thelargest ever volcanic plumewhile also generate one of theloudest soundsthe world has ever pick up .
Yet despite the huge amounts of seismal data generate by the blast , scientists have until now struggled to explicate what causedHunga Tongato erupt so violently . To find an answer , the authors of the new study built a model that combines multiple aspects of this information .
Specifically , they used a economic value called the present moment tensor – which represents the source of earthquakes – and the exclusive force , which does the same for volcanic clap . The result model suggests a colossal up force that touch up well with the order of magnitude of the event .
The research worker therefore suggest that the eruption occur when a shallow underwater plosion caused the water above the vent to bourgeon upwards . This , in twist , relieve the force per unit area on the compressed rock beneath , induce it to “ rebound ” with incredible power .
" Our model evoke the consequence resulted from the gaseous state - compressed rock being trapped underneath a shallow ocean , like an overcooked insistence cooker , ” says Hu . " This would be surprising to many because it had been commonly think that the fundamental interaction of hot magma with frigid seawater do such massive underwater volcanic eruption . ”
While the researchers admit that their model remain “ debatable ” , they go on to say that their reckoning suggest that the mechanism they propose is “ viable ” .
" Using seismal waveform modelling , we observed a significant erect military unit pointing upwardly during the event , ” adds report source Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić . “ At first , we were confused by it . But then we bring in that the satisfying earth bounce upwards after the piddle pillar got uplifted . "
The work is put out in the journalGeophysical Research Letters .
