Geomagnetic detection of the atmospheric acoustic resonance at 3.8 mHz
during the Hunga Tonga eruption event on January 15, 2022
Abstract
Modeling studies have predicted that the acoustic resonance of the
atmosphere during geophysical events such as earthquakes and volcanos
can lead to an oscillation of the geomagnetic field with a frequency of
about 4 mHz. However, observational evidence is still limited due to
scarcity of suitable events. On January 15, 2022, the submarine volcano
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (20.5˚S, 175.4˚W, Tonga) erupted in the
Pacific Ocean and caused severe atmospheric disturbance, providing an
opportunity to investigate geomagnetic effects associated with acoustic
resonance. Following the eruption, geomagnetic oscillation is observed
at Apia, approximately 835 km from Hunga Tonga, mainly in the Pc 5 band
(150-600 s, or 1.7-6.7 mHz) lasting for about 2 hours. The dominant
frequency of the oscillation is 3.8 mHz, which is consistent with the
frequency of the atmospheric oscillation due to acoustic resonance. The
oscillation is most prominent in the eastward (Y) component, with an
amplitude of ~3 nT, which is much larger than those
previously reported for other events (<1 nT). Comparably large
oscillation is not found at other stations located further away
(>2700 km). However, geomagnetic oscillation with a much
smaller amplitude (~0.3 nT) is observed at Honolulu,
which is located near the magnetic conjugate point of Hunga Tonga, in a
similar wave form as at Apia, indicating interhemispheric coupling. This
is the first time that geomagnetic oscillations due to the atmospheric
acoustic resonance are simultaneously detected at magnetic conjugate
points.