The Hunga Tonga volcano, which has been spewing lava for several days, followed and emitted a powerful eruption on January 15th, which was recorded at seismic stations around the world. a massive tsunami that devastated several islands and alarmed a dozen areas. Brutal shock wave caused disturbances that crossed the planet from cover to cover, changes that can become a change Key piece to warn of these natural disasters much sooner and better.
In a tsunami, every second counts. Again, early warning systems are still inadequate. In the last hundred years, 58 tsunamis have claimed the lives of 260,000 people.This puts them at the top of other natural risks in terms of mortality rate.
With the impact of climate change, these phenomena are expected to become more widespread.. Therefore, as UNESCO stated “being prepared to face these phenomena can be a matter of life and death”.
this early warning systems Tsunami systems rely on seismometer networks and sea level measurement stations that send data in real time to national and regional warning centers.
Spain Has a National Tsunami Warning System powered by information compiled by the National Seismic Network (SINAM); Puertos del Estado’s REDMAR network of tide gauges; Detection systems of the Spanish Institution of Oceanography and other marine detection systems of different public administrations.
Satellite network errors
However, even having an established network is sometimes insufficient. For this reason Scientists continue to seek formulas to improve early warning of these disasters..
Tonga volcano has made an interesting path in this regard, and the secret is, atmospheric pressure change due to shock waves from the explosion. Scientists knew that these variations were responsible for the change to which the ionosphere was exposed, causing errors in the GPS satellite network.
With this information, a research team from Nagoya University in Japan, a formula that can help design an early warning system these events in the future.
This is published in ‘Earth, Planets and Space’ and when a tsunami occurs, deformations and oscillations in the atmosphere It causes changes in the electrons of the ionosphere, the layer located at an altitude of 80 to 400 kilometers.
The research group studied malfunctions in the satellite and radar network during the Pacific boom. Shock waves spreading as far as Australia and Japan, changes in the ionosphereIt began to vibrate, producing an intense electric field that caused telecommunication faults.
altered electrons
But the surprising thing is long before this shock wave was created, the electrons in the atmospheric layer had already begun to change..
Specifically, a electromagnetic wave which “produces a ionospheric disorder “Three hours before the shock wave caused by the volcanic eruption created the tsunami in Japan,” says Atsuki Shinbori, a signatory to this article.
In fact, although Japan and Australia are in different hemispheres, the changes in electrons in the ionosphere occurred almost simultaneously.
The speed difference is key.. According to the research, this happens because electromagnetic waves travel at a speed of about 1,000 kilometers per second, while the shock wave that affects air pressure travels at the speed of sound, about 315 meters per second.
With these results, scientists are already looking for ways to apply this technique in the future. “Statistical analysis of ionospheric disturbances during volcanic eruptions, combined with seismic events, can help us estimate the height and size of tsunamis,” Shinbori insists. He sees ionospheric disturbances as “a new step forward in tsunami warnings.”
Reference report: https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-022-01665-8