How underwater ‘booms’ could provide earlier warning of deadly volcanic tsunamis
Underwater sound signals created by 2022’s enormous Hunga eruption have pointed scientists to a new way to warn people of unpredictable volcanic tsunamis.
On January 14, 2022, the Hunga volcano in Tonga erupted with a force that surprised the world. While the initial explosion sent pressure waves around the globe and triggered tsunamis, the most devastating one was generated by a different process. Research published recently reveals that the largest tsunami was caused by the sudden collapse of the volcano's caldera, a sound that could be detected thousands of kilometers away.
This finding opens up the possibility of using underwater sound detection as an early warning system for some of the most unpredictable types of tsunamis.
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