Articles | Volume 25, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13161-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13161-2025
Research article
 | 
21 Oct 2025
Research article |  | 21 Oct 2025

Comparing multi-model ensemble simulations with observations and decadal projections of upper atmospheric variations following the Hunga eruption

Zhihong Zhuo, Xinyue Wang, Yunqian Zhu, Wandi Yu, Ewa M. Bednarz, Eric Fleming, Peter R. Colarco, Shingo Watanabe, David Plummer, Georgiy Stenchikov, William Randel, Adam Bourassa, Valentina Aquila, Takashi Sekiya, Mark R. Schoeberl, Simone Tilmes, Jun Zhang, Paul J. Kushner, and Francesco S. R. Pausata

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Cited articles

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Carn, S. A., Krotkov, N. A., Fisher, B. L., and Li, C.: Out of the blue: Volcanic SO2 emissions during the 2021–2022 eruptions of Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha'apai (Tonga), Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.976962, 2022. a
Carr, J. L., Horváth, A., Wu, D. L., and Friberg, M. D.: Stereo Plume Height and Motion Retrievals for the Record‐Setting Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai Eruption of 15 January 2022, Geophysical Research Letters, 49, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl098131, 2022. a, b, c
Clyne, M.: Modeling the Role of Volcanoes in the Climate System – Chapter 4: Tonga-MIP, PhD dissertation, University of Colorado at Boulder, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 31487034, 153 pp., https://www.proquest.com/docview/3100397790 (last access: 9 October 2025), 2024. a
Evan, S., Brioude, J., Rosenlof, K. H., Gao, R.-S., Portmann, R. W., Zhu, Y., Volkamer, R., Lee, C. F., Metzger, J.-M., Lamy, K., Walter, P., Alvarez, S. L., Flynn, J. H., Asher, E., Todt, M., Davis, S. M., Thornberry, T., Vömel, H., Wienhold, F. G., Stauffer, R. M., Millán, L., Santee, M. L., Froidevaux, L., and Read, W. G.: Rapid ozone depletion after humidification of the stratosphere by the Hunga Tonga Eruption, Science, 382, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adg2551, 2023. a
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The 2022 Hunga eruption caused unprecedented stratospheric water injection, triggering unique atmospheric impacts. This study combines observations and model simulations, projecting a stratospheric water vapor anomaly lasting 4–7 years, with significant temperature variations and ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere lasting 7–10 years. These findings offer critical insights into the role of stratospheric water vapor in shaping climate and atmospheric chemistry.
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