Multi-Wave Structures of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Associated with the 2022 Tonga Volcanic Eruptions in the New Zealand and Australia Regions

Abstract

Using dense global navigation satellite system data and brightness temperature data across the New Zealand and Australia regions, we tracked the propagation of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) associated with the 15 January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruptions. We identified two shock wave-related TIDs and two Lamb wave-related TIDs following the eruptions. The two shock wave-related TIDs, propagating with velocities of 724–750 and 445–471 m/s, respectively, were observed around New Zealand and Australia within a distance of 3500–6500 km from the eruptive center. These shock wave-related TIDs suffered severe attenuation during the propagation and disappeared more than 6500 km from the eruptive center. Based on the TEC data from the nearest ground-based receivers, we estimated the onset times of two main volcanic explosions at 04:20:54 UT ± 116 s and 04:24:37 UT ± 141 s, respectively. The two shock wave-related TIDs were most likely generated by these two main volcanic eruptions. The two Lamb wave-related TIDs propagated with velocities of 300–370 and 250 m/s in the near-field region. The Lamb wave-related TIDs experienced minimal attenuation during their long-distance propagation, with only a 0.17% decrease observed in the relative amplitudes of the Lamb wave-related TIDs from the near-field to far-field regions.