An atmospheric pressure wave from the eruption of the Tonga volcano disrupted satellite communications. This has been reported by Nagoya University.
The ionosphere is the region of Earth’s upper atmosphere where molecules and atoms are ionized by solar radiation. The highest concentration of ions is at an altitude of 150 to 800 kilometers. The ionosphere plays an important role in the operation of radio communications (it reflects certain wavelengths back to earth) and affects the operation of satellite communications and the GPS system. In case of large fluctuations in the ionosphere, regions of increased density appear, and as a result, the region may have low transmittance for radio waves due to the formation of plasma bubbles.
Atsuki Shinbori and colleagues to solveThat atmospheric waves from the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption form a plasma bubble. This was demonstrated by data obtained using the research satellites Arase and Himawari-8. “The results of this study showed that a plasma bubble appeared in the ionosphere at low latitudes near the equator over Asia, in response to the arrival of pressure waves caused by underwater eruptions of Tonga volcanoes,” the authors write.
It was also possible to find that ionospheric fluctuations begin a few minutes or hours before the arrival of the atmospheric pressure waves involved in the formation of plasma bubbles. This means that since other waves (e.g. sound) can also propagate in the atmosphere, other types of rapidly propagating perturbations can cause them. “Ionospheric disturbances were observed minutes or hours before the first arrival of atmospheric waves caused by the eruption of the Tonga volcano. Therefore, the model of Earth’s air envelopes needs to be revised to account for the impact of these fast waves on the ionosphere.
The authors hope their discovery will help prevent satellite broadcasting and communications failures associated with ionospheric disturbances caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other events.
Details on what kind of waves may be in the atmosphere and which ones cover Moscow in January 2022 can be found at: material “socialbites.ca”.
Source: Gazeta
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