Register a volcanic eruption on the other side of the world with a weather station?

In the island nation of Tonga, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano erupted on 15 January. The volcano had been active for some time and in previous eruptions had connected the two previously separate islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai with a new island. Tonga is located in the South Pacific and is an archipelago with over 170 islands and a population of about 100,000.

The dormant period following a severe eruption in December 2021 ended on 14 January. This was followed on 15 January by one of the most severe volcanic eruptions in the last 30 years. Significant tsunami waves could be observed practically around the Pacific as far as Japan and the USA. The effects in Tonga itself are still unclear, but severe damage must be expected.

The pressure wave of the eruption was not only clearly visible on various satellite images, but could also be measured practically worldwide by amateurs. The air pressure fluctuations were also registered by our BRESSER weather station here in Rhede.


The passage of the pressure wave coming from the north (i.e. over the North Pole) at around 9 p.m. with a fluctuation of about 1.5 hPa was clearly registered in the readings of the day. The pressure wave had thus circled the entire globe and had a propagation speed of over 11,000km/h!
At scientific measuring stations, it was also possible to measure the weaker pressure fluctuation of the pressure wave coming from the south, and some measuring devices even recorded a third pass.
It is very impressive to see the enormous geological forces at work here. Who would have thought that a weather station could register a volcanic eruption on the other side of the world?

Quelle: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulkanausbruch_Hunga_Tonga_2022

TrustedShops ExcellentShop 5 Jahre Award