The Volcano In Tonga Eruption

Discussion in 'Weather & Natural Disasters' started by Don Alaska, Jan 16, 2022.

  1. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    SPACEWEATHER.COM just posted an animated graphic of this volcano titled "Stereographic Height Retrieval." It demonstrates that the plume reached the mesosphere at 55 kilometers (34 miles.) The related NASA article states that prior to the Tonga eruption, the largest known volcanic plume "in the satellite era" came from Mount Pinatubo, which spewed ash and aerosols up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) into the air above the Philippines in 1991. The Tonga plume was 1.5 times the height of the Pinatubo plume.

    The article also said that aerosols from the Tonga plume have persisted in the stratosphere for nearly a month after the eruption and could stay for a year or more, yet will not have significant climate effects¹ because it was low in sulfur dioxide content—the volcanic emission that causes cooling—but high in water vapor (due to its undersea origin), which accounts for its impressive height.

    ¹As an aside, I stated in another post that about half of the recent "global warming" is due to recent volcanic inactivity and the eventual dissipation of ash from prior volcanoes.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 28, 2022
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  2. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    The Alaska Peninsula has started to rumble. It is the site of the Katmai Explosion in 1912. Not many people lived here then, but if it erupts now it could cause some problems. It would probably shut down air travel to the state and, as almost everything comes here by air, produce and meat would rapidly run out. It has only been moved to a yellow warning, but those can go to red in the blink of an eye. The last eruption in the area was in 1974. I need to get air and oil filters for the vehicles, for if it goes, the vehicles will not be safe to operate without oil and air filter changes.
     
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  3. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Hoping that does not happen, and that you at least have time to prepare for the possibility if it does happen, @Don Alaska . Be sure to keep laptops, phones, etc charged up, and try to let us know if you are losing power. We do NOT want to lose you again for over a year like happened last time you had a bad earthquake up there !
    I have a step-daughter who lives near Palmer, so she is probably concerned about this volcano, too. Prayers for both you and Angelina, and the rest of Alaska for safety !
     
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  4. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    I haven't heard any more about the volcanoes, @Yvonne Smith. I, too, hope things don't go boom. Our government is making enough stuff go boom on another continent.
     
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