Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption
Abstract Equatorial plasma bubbles are a phenomenon of plasma density depletion with small-scale density irregularities, normally observed in the equatorial ionosphere. This phenomenon, which impacts satellite-based communications, was observed in the Asia-Pacific region after the largest-on-record...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33603-3 |
| _version_ | 1797818073688834048 |
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| author | Atsuki Shinbori Takuya Sori Yuichi Otsuka Michi Nishioka Septi Perwitasari Takuo Tsuda Atsushi Kumamoto Fuminori Tsuchiya Shoya Matsuda Yoshiya Kasahara Ayako Matsuoka Satoko Nakamura Yoshizumi Miyoshi Iku Shinohara |
| author_facet | Atsuki Shinbori Takuya Sori Yuichi Otsuka Michi Nishioka Septi Perwitasari Takuo Tsuda Atsushi Kumamoto Fuminori Tsuchiya Shoya Matsuda Yoshiya Kasahara Ayako Matsuoka Satoko Nakamura Yoshizumi Miyoshi Iku Shinohara |
| author_sort | Atsuki Shinbori |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Equatorial plasma bubbles are a phenomenon of plasma density depletion with small-scale density irregularities, normally observed in the equatorial ionosphere. This phenomenon, which impacts satellite-based communications, was observed in the Asia-Pacific region after the largest-on-record January 15, 2022 eruption of the Tonga volcano. We used satellite and ground-based ionospheric observations to demonstrate that an air pressure wave triggered by the Tonga volcanic eruption could cause the emergence of an equatorial plasma bubble. The most prominent observation result shows a sudden increase of electron density and height of the ionosphere several ten minutes to hours before the initial arrival of the air pressure wave in the lower atmosphere. The propagation speed of ionospheric electron density variations was ~ 480–540 m/s, whose speed was higher than that of a Lamb wave (~315 m/s) in the troposphere. The electron density variations started larger in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. The fast response of the ionosphere could be caused by an instantaneous transmission of the electric field to the magnetic conjugate ionosphere along the magnetic field lines. After the ionospheric perturbations, electron density depletion appeared in the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere and extended at least up to ±25° in geomagnetic latitude. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:02:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8432735d3ae8473e9e60f332229cdcd6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:02:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-8432735d3ae8473e9e60f332229cdcd62023-05-28T11:14:11ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-05-0113111310.1038/s41598-023-33603-3Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruptionAtsuki Shinbori0Takuya Sori1Yuichi Otsuka2Michi Nishioka3Septi Perwitasari4Takuo Tsuda5Atsushi Kumamoto6Fuminori Tsuchiya7Shoya Matsuda8Yoshiya Kasahara9Ayako Matsuoka10Satoko Nakamura11Yoshizumi Miyoshi12Iku Shinohara13Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya UniversityInstitute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya UniversityInstitute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya UniversityNational Institute of Information and Communications TechnologyNational Institute of Information and Communications TechnologyThe University of Electro-CommunicationsDepartment of Geophysics, Tohoku UniversityPlanetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center, Tohoku UniversityGraduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa UniversityGraduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa UniversityWord Data Center for Geomagnetism, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto UniversityInstitute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya UniversityInstitute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya UniversityInstitute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyAbstract Equatorial plasma bubbles are a phenomenon of plasma density depletion with small-scale density irregularities, normally observed in the equatorial ionosphere. This phenomenon, which impacts satellite-based communications, was observed in the Asia-Pacific region after the largest-on-record January 15, 2022 eruption of the Tonga volcano. We used satellite and ground-based ionospheric observations to demonstrate that an air pressure wave triggered by the Tonga volcanic eruption could cause the emergence of an equatorial plasma bubble. The most prominent observation result shows a sudden increase of electron density and height of the ionosphere several ten minutes to hours before the initial arrival of the air pressure wave in the lower atmosphere. The propagation speed of ionospheric electron density variations was ~ 480–540 m/s, whose speed was higher than that of a Lamb wave (~315 m/s) in the troposphere. The electron density variations started larger in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. The fast response of the ionosphere could be caused by an instantaneous transmission of the electric field to the magnetic conjugate ionosphere along the magnetic field lines. After the ionospheric perturbations, electron density depletion appeared in the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere and extended at least up to ±25° in geomagnetic latitude.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33603-3 |
| spellingShingle | Atsuki Shinbori Takuya Sori Yuichi Otsuka Michi Nishioka Septi Perwitasari Takuo Tsuda Atsushi Kumamoto Fuminori Tsuchiya Shoya Matsuda Yoshiya Kasahara Ayako Matsuoka Satoko Nakamura Yoshizumi Miyoshi Iku Shinohara Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption Scientific Reports |
| title | Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption |
| title_full | Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption |
| title_fullStr | Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption |
| title_full_unstemmed | Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption |
| title_short | Generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption |
| title_sort | generation of equatorial plasma bubble after the 2022 tonga volcanic eruption |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33603-3 |
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