The most powerful explosion of our time: scientists identify a mysterious signal before the eruption of Mount Honga

Researchers have discovered a seismic signal that sounded a few minutes before the explosion of Tonga's underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai in 2022. This event, equivalent to an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.4 or 61 megatons of TNT, was one of the most powerful explosions of our time.

A team from the Earthquake Research Institute in Japan detected a so-called "seismic wave" before the explosion. It was caused by the collapse of a weak area of the seabed near the volcano. This wave was recorded by monitoring stations 15 minutes before the eruption. This was reported by the Daily Mail.

Scientists suggest that a crack in the volcano's walls allowed seawater to mix with magma in the area between the ocean floor and the magma chamber. This caused a huge steam eruption.

Rayleigh waves, recorded at a distance of 466 miles from the volcano, appeared 15 minutes before the explosion. Their frequency was 0.03-0.1 Hz, which corresponds to an earthquake of magnitude 4.9.

The explosion itself was accompanied by an even stronger earthquake-like rumble with a magnitude of 5.8.

Satellite observations showed that before the eruption, changes in the structure of magma cavities occurred in the volcano area. These data helped scientists model the process of destruction of the caldera, a depression that forms as a result of the cavity collapse after an eruption. The eruption is considered to be one of the few caldera-forming explosions that have occurred in the ocean. Such events are extremely rare and poorly understood.

The researchers hope that their findings will help create early warning systems to respond to dangerous eruptions. Takuro Horiuchi, the lead author of the study, noted that seismic signals, which are usually weak and localized, can be used for real-time forecasting.

The explosion of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai on January 15, 2022 caused:

• A tsunami and a thunderstorm.
• The release of 58,000 Olympic-sized pools of water vapor into the air.
• Global atmospheric disturbances that were recorded even in remote regions such as Alaska.

The collected data can form the basis for future forecasts of underwater volcanic activity. As Dr. Mie Ichihara of the University of Tokyo emphasized, island volcanoes such as Tonga are capable of generating dangerous tsunamis, so early warning is critical to protecting lives.

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