Underwater volcanic eruptions send Krakatoa-like waves across the globe

An underwater volcanic eruption near the Pacific nation of Tonga in January 2022 sent a massive pressure wave through the Earth’s atmosphere, according to a May 12, 2022 study published in the journal Science. Earlier, the last volcano that created such a large wave across the Earth’s atmosphere was Krakatoa in 1883, which was recorded as one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in the world.

“This atmospheric wave phenomenon was unprecedented in the modern geophysical record,” Robin Matoza, an associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in an email. Speaking about the research, he noted that the pressure caused by the volcano was “comparable to the magnitude of the 1883 Krakatoa volcano and a higher order of magnitude than the 1980 Mount St. Helens volcano.”

The waves were so destructive that they started blowing at a speed of about 450 mph (720 kmph). It was 62 miles (100 km) higher than the official edge of the Karman Line space. Significantly, strong hurricanes around the world can reach wind speeds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers).

Another study published in the same edition of the journal also noted that strong vibrations also send waves running across the ocean. According to the report, atmospheric waves created small, fast-traveling meteosunamis that reached shore long before a tsunami caused by a volcanic eruption.

According to reports, the eruption was so powerful that it was heard over 6,000 miles (10,000 km). The pressure waves created by this orbit the planet four times. The epicenter was reported below the ground, however; no tsunami alert was issued. The epicenter was reported below the ground, however; no tsunami alert was issued.