Volga Volga Tonga-Hunga Haapai, which entered the world after its mass eruption on January 15 this year, saw that its effects reach space, NASA has discovered. The U.S. space agency says its Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm satellites have found that the effects reached the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere just hours after the underwater eruption. These effects became apparent when the two missions discovered hurricane-force winds and unusual electrical currents formed in the ionosphere, the Earth’s electrified upper atmosphere. Tap here to read more about the Tonga eruption.
The effects of Tonga’s eruption have reached space
(Illustration of NASA on the effects of the volcanic eruption of Tonga; Image: NASA)
The effects of the change in the atmosphere were captured by NASA’s ICON, which was launched in 2019 to identify how Earth’s time interacts with space-time. Brian Harding of the University of California and lead author of the observational study said in a statement that the Tonga volcano in the South Pacific has created one of the largest space disturbances observed in the modern era. “This allows us to test the misunderstood connection between the lower atmosphere and space,” he added.
In addition, Jim Span, head of space time at NASA’s Heliophysics Division, said the findings showed how events on Earth could affect space time, adding that a comprehensive understanding of space time “would ultimately help us soften its impact on society. “
Satellites observing the massive phenomenon caught giant jets of gas, water vapor and dust pushed into the sky. Scientists compiling the new discoveries also report that the explosion created large disturbances in atmospheric pressure, leading to strong winds reaching speeds of up to 724 km / h. In particular, winds began to move faster as they spread upward into thinner atmospheric layers. Moreover, the explosion also changed the direction of the flow of particles in the ionosphere, which is always to the east. These particles form the electric current – called the equatorial electrojet – and are powered by winds in the lower atmosphere.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and said it improved their understanding of how the ionosphere is affected by events on Earth as well as space.
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