In 2022, the Hunga Tonga Eruption Sent Huge Amounts of Water Vapour Into the Stratosphere, Causing Changes in Ozone Levels and Radiation Effects

In 2022, the Hunga Tonga eruption sent huge amounts of water vapour into the stratosphere, causing changes in ozone levels and radiation effects

An eruption from an underwater volcano released a massive cloud of water vapor into the stratosphere, impacting global weather patterns for two years. This additional moisture led to an initial cooling effect on the stratosphere while also modifying circulation patterns. The presence of sulfate aerosols played a significant role in blocking sunlight, creating a stronger cooling influence.

The 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption produced the largest underwater explosion ever recorded by modern instruments. Its plume climbed approximately 57 kilometres—higher than any volcanic plume observed during the satellite era—and injected enough water vapour to increase the stratosphere’s global water content by roughly 10%.

At about 4:10 a.m. UTC on January 15, 2022, a submarine volcano in the South Pacific generated signals that instruments would keep recording for days. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai pushed a pressure wave around the planet, drove a tsunami across ocean basins and lifted part of its eruption column into the mesosphere. A different satellite measurement found a mass of water vapor so large that it was estimated at roughly one-tenth of all the water nor…