The evolution and dynamics of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai sulfate aerosol plume in the stratosphere

Legras, Bernard; Duchamp, Clair; Sellitto, Pasquale; Podglajen, Aurélien; Carboni, Elisa; Siddans, Richard; Grooß, Jens-Uwe; Khaykin, Sergey; Ploeger, Felix

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14957-2022

Articles | Volume 22, issue 22

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14957-2022

© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14957-2022

© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 22

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

23 Nov 2022

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 23 Nov 2022

The evolution and dynamics of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai sulfate aerosol plume in the stratosphere

Bernard Legras, Clair Duchamp, Pasquale Sellitto, Aurélien Podglajen, Elisa Carboni, Richard Siddans, Jens-Uwe Grooß, Sergey Khaykin, and Felix Ploeger

Data sets

RAL IMS retrieval of SO2 and sulphates (January to April 2022) R. Siddans, E. Carboni, P. Sellitto, and B. Legras https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7102472

CALIPSO Lidar Level 1B Profile, Validated Stage 1 V3-41 NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC https://doi.org/10.5067/CALIOP/CALIPSO/CAL_LID_L1-VALSTAGE1-V3-41

The ERA5 global reanalysis (https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/datasets/reanalysis-datasets/era5) Hans Hersbach, Bill Bell, Paul Berrisford, Shoji Hirahara, András Horányi, Joaquín Muñoz-Sabater, Julien Nicolas, Carole Peubey, Raluca Radu, Dinand Schepers, Adrian Simmons, Cornel Soci, Saleh Abdalla, Xavier Abellan, Gianpaolo Balsamo, Peter Bechtold, Gionata Biavati, Jean Bidlot, Massimo Bonavita, Giovanna De Chiara, Per Dahlgren, Dick Dee, Michail Diamantakis, Rossana Dragani, Johannes Flemming, Richard Forbes, Manuel Fuentes, Alan Geer, Leo Haimberger, Sean Healy, Robin J. Hogan, Elías Hólm, Marta Janisková, Sarah Keeley, Patrick Laloyaux, Philippe Lopez, Cristina Lupu, Gabor Radnoti, Patricia de Rosnay, Iryna Rozum, Freja Vamborg, Sebastien Villaume, and Jean-Noël Thépaut https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3803

Aeolus Level-2B Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (https://aeolus-ds.eo.esa.int/oads/access/) Michael Rennie, David Tan, Erik Andersson, Paul Poli, Alain Dabas, Jos De Kloe, Gert-Jan Marseille, and Ad Stoffelen https://earth.esa.int/eogateway/documents/20142/37627/Aeolus_L2B_Algorithm_TBD.pdf/5a116873-473e-84b7-5e39-2480edde1589

Model code and software

ASTuS for Tonga January 2022 eruption B. Legras and C. Duchamp https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7321711

Video supplement

IMS sulphate aerosol in the stratospheric plume of the January 2022 Tonga eruption B. Legras, R. Siddans, E. Carboni, and P. Sellitto https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7242467

Executive editor

This article describes the effect of the recent (January 2022) Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption on the stratosphere. The eruption was highly energetic and as a result erupted material reached altitudes of around 30km. Such eruptions, with the 1991 Pinatubo eruption being a noteworthy example, often have a significant effect on tropospheric weather and climate, through the radiative effects of the volcanic aerosol, which may remain in the stratosphere for 2 or 3 years or more. In the 30 years since the Pinatubo eruption observations of the stratosphere, primarily from satellites, have improved enormously and in this Letter the authors provide a detailed description of the evolution of volcanic aerosol and of other chemical species injected by the eruption over a 6-month period following the eruption. The authors show that one important effect of the eruption was to inject a large quantity of water vapour into the stratosphere and suggest that the largest impact of the eruption on tropospheric weather and climate will be via the radiative effect of this water vapour, rather than of the injected aerosol. The initial detailed picture of the impact of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption on the stratosphere provided in this Letter will stimulate further study of this remarkable natural event, which provides a rare opportunity to test our scientific understanding.