Disturbances in the Doppler frequency shift of ionospheric signal and in telluric current caused by the atmospheric waves from an explosive eruption of Hunga Tonga volcano on January 15, 2022

Abstract

After an explosive eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano on January 15, 2022, disturbances were observed at a distance of about 12000km in Northern Tien Shan among the variations of the atmosphere pressure, of telluric current, and of the Doppler frequency shift of ionospheric signal. At 16:00:55UTC a pulse of atmospheric pressure was detected there with a peak amplitude of 1.3hPa and propagation speed of 0.3056km/s, equal to the velocity of Lamb wave. In the variations of the Doppler frequency shift, the disturbances of two types were registered on the 3212km and 2969km long inclined radio-paths, one of which arose as a response to the passage of a Lamb wave (0.3059km/s) through the reflection point of radio wave, and another as reaction to the acoustic-gravity wave (0.2602km/s). Two successive perturbations were also detected in the records of telluric current at the arrival times of the Lamb and acoustic-gravity waves into the registration point. According to the parameters of the Lamb wave, an energy transfer into the atmosphere at the explosion of the Hunga Tonga volcano was roughly estimated as 2000Mt of TNT equivalent.