Response Analysis on Multi-Parameters in the 2022 Tonga Volcanic Eruption Using Satellite-Ground Combined Data

The Tonga volcano (TVE) erupted with a mass of energy released into the plate and atmosphere, causing variations in the relevant geophysical parameters. Thus, we creatively apply the observations from space-borne and ground-based sensors to reveal the characterizations of up to four items (tropospheric response, sea surface temperature (SST), surface deformation, and ionospheric reaction). The results of precipitable water vapor from space-borne and ground-based data show that tropospheric response has a trend of rising first, after the volcano event dropping sharply, then recovering to the normal level. The reaction of SST shows a slight rise of 0.5-1 degrees C caused by the incident. Examining ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System station coordinates illustrates that the volcano eruption causes surface deformations up to 46 cm in the northeast direction. Eventually, for the ionospheric reaction, a similar characterization of the tropospheric response is found in the total electron content variation. These are the first comprehensive analyses showing the impacts of the TVE on multiple types of parameters using both space-borne and ground-based data from low to high frequency. Plain Language Summary The eruption of the Tonga volcano occurred on 15 January 2022 and triggered gigantic influences on the space and surface geophysical parameters. A large amount of sensors has well observed the entire process of this volcanic event. Although the characterizations of some parameters from a single observation have been well examined, more systematic studies on multiple types of parameters using various observations are still lacking. Here we apply both space-borne and ground-based data to deeply analyze four types of geophysical parameters: the tropospheric and ionospheric variation, sea surface temperature, and plate movement. We found that nearly all the parameters follow a characterization of rising before the volcano eruption, after the event dropping sharply, then recovering to a normal level. Thus, the volcano eruption can be better understood with more observational data sources and more kinds of parametric analysis.

Automated summary

The eruption of the Tonga volcano released a large amount of energy, causing variations in geophysical parameters. By utilizing space-borne and ground-based sensors, this study comprehensively analyzes the tropospheric response, sea surface temperature, surface deformation, and ionospheric reaction. The results reveal the characteristics of each parameter and provide a better understanding of the impacts of the volcanic event.