2023 Workshop: Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai: Reflections on Efforts, Findings, and Challenges 1.5 Years Later Since the Eruption
The activity of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai volcano on the 15th of January, 2022 resulted in a series of large-magnitude eruptions, which generated a broad range of mechanical waves in the atmosphere. The event provided a rare opportunity to investigate coupled solid-ocean-atmosphere processes driven by generated waves globally over several days. The ability to interpret measured fluctuations despite their complexity suggests opportunities and needs for future observations and modeling efforts. We invite presentations related to the latest observation-guided and modeling-based efforts that contribute to a better understanding of the geophysical processes driven by this eruption.
The CEDAR community demonstrates a marked interest in understanding the atmospheric effects of the 15 Jan. 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption, as is clear from the abundance of studies which have emerged in the past year. At the same time, the broader picture of natural hazard-related dynamics, and especially how they couple with the upper atmosphere, is still not fully understood or quantified. While current theories attempt to explain the mechanisms that result in the observed fluctuations and long-lived phenomena, additional work is necessary to verify and quantify the theories. This workshop will provide an opportunity to share and discuss the latest results and efforts towards understanding this event, potentially opening new challenges and opportunities in future investigations of the impact of natural hazards on Earth's geophysical system. These efforts are highlighted in CEDAR Strategic Thrusts 1, 4, and 5.