Abstract
A weather station in Nukuʻalofa (NUKU), Tonga, ~68km
away from the epicenter of the 2022 Tonga eruption, recorded exceptional
pressure, temperature, and wind data representative of the eruption
source hydrodynamics. These high-quality data are available for further
source and propagation studies. In contrast to other barometers and
infrasound sensors at greater ranges, the NUKU barometer recorded a
decrease in pressure during the climactic stage of the eruption. A
simple fluid dynamic explanation of the depressurization is provided,
with a commentary on near- vs far-field pressure observations of very
large eruptions.