An Investigation on the Ionospheric Response to the Volcanic Explosion of Hunga Ha’apai, 2022, Based on the Observations from the Meridian Project: The Plasma Drift Variations

Qiu，Shican1; Shi，Mengxi1; Wang，Xinye2; Zhang，Zhanming3; Soon，Willie4,5; Velasco Herrera，Victor Manuel6

2023-09-01

10.3390/rs15174181

Remote Sensing   Impact Factor & Quartile

2072-4292

The Hunga Ha’apai volcano eruption (20.536°S, 175.382°W in Tonga) reached its maximum outbreak on 15 January 2022, at 04:15 UT, leading to huge oceanic fluctuations and atmospheric disturbances. This study focuses on the response of the ionosphere to the eruption of Tonga volcano, based on observations from a low-latitude station of the Meridian Project at Fuke, Hainan (19.310°N, 109.080°E). We identified the anomalies in the plasma drift caused by the volcanic eruption and discussed the possible mechanisms. The following results were obtained: (1) The anomalies of ionospheric plasma drift were observed at Fuke Station, during the main eruption; (2) A sudden increase and inversion of the plasma drift velocity occurred on January 15, and a large fluctuation of the drift velocity occurred afterwards; (3) By comparing the anomalous propagation velocity with the background drift, it was confirmed that the anomaly was the response of the low latitude ionosphere to the Tonga volcano eruption. Furthermore, we analyzed a possible mechanism for the effect of volcanic eruptions on ionospheric plasma drift. A large number of charged particles could be brought out by the explosion to generate an atmospheric electric field, which may cause the ionospheric plasma to change its original motion.

Hunga Ha’apai ionospheric fluctuations plasma drift velocity Tonga volcano eruption

English

Others

National Natural Science Foundation of China[41974178];

2-s2.0-85170398889

Scopus

1.Department of Geophysics,College of the Geology Engineering and Geomatics,Chang’an University,Xi’an,710054,China
2.Department of Earth and Space Sciences,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
3.School of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,230026,China
4.Center for Environmental Research and Earth Sciences (CERES),Salem,01970,United States
5.Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (ELKH EPSS),Sopron,9400,Hungary
6.Instituto De Geofísica,Universidad Nacional Autónoma De México,Mexico City,04510,Mexico

Qiu，Shican,Shi，Mengxi,Wang，Xinye,等. An Investigation on the Ionospheric Response to the Volcanic Explosion of Hunga Ha’apai, 2022, Based on the Observations from the Meridian Project: The Plasma Drift Variations[J]. Remote Sensing,2023,15(17).

Qiu，Shican,Shi，Mengxi,Wang，Xinye,Zhang，Zhanming,Soon，Willie,&Velasco Herrera，Victor Manuel.(2023).An Investigation on the Ionospheric Response to the Volcanic Explosion of Hunga Ha’apai, 2022, Based on the Observations from the Meridian Project: The Plasma Drift Variations.Remote Sensing,15(17).

Qiu，Shican,et al."An Investigation on the Ionospheric Response to the Volcanic Explosion of Hunga Ha’apai, 2022, Based on the Observations from the Meridian Project: The Plasma Drift Variations".Remote Sensing 15.17(2023).