Cascading hazards from the largest volcanic eruption in over a century: What happened when Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai erupted in January 2022?

超过100年来最具爆炸性的火山事件发生在2022年1月，当时Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai（HTHH）意外爆发，引发了一连串的危险。地球周围都能感受到大气层的冲击波，海啸淹没了海岸线，海底电缆损坏时，通信被切断。在火山爆发前后获得了独特的数据集，为研究如此强大的事件所造成的灾害级联提供了第一次机会。新的海底和地下地球物理数据，在喷发后三个月获得，使与喷发前的数据进行比较，以显示火山如何演变和塑造周围的海底。初步分析表明，在最初的喷发之后产生了强大的火山碎屑密度流，塑造了深海海底通道并传播了很长的距离。这些电涌可能是海啸的主要触发因素，并对海底电缆造成超过100公里的损坏;然而，这需要验证。在海底和岸上岛屿上取芯将为喷发时间轴提供必要的沉积学限制。这个及时的项目提供了一个独特的机会，以确定火山碎屑流的分布、时间、行为和影响，与这种重大喷发有关的连锁和级联危害，以及对世界各地造成类似危害的许多其他火山的新认识。

The most explosive volcanic event in >100 years occurred in January 2022, when Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) erupted unexpectedly, triggering cascades of hazards1. The atmospheric shockwave was felt around the planet, tsunamis inundated coastlines, and communications were cut when seafloor cables were damaged. Unique datasets were acquired before and after the eruption, providing the first opportunity to study the hazard cascades created by such a powerful event. New seafloor and subsurface geophysical data, acquired three months after the eruption, enable comparison with pre-eruption data, to show how the volcano evolved and shaped the surrounding seafloor. Initial analysis reveals that powerful pyroclastic density currents were generated following the initial eruption, sculpting deep seafloor channels and travelling vast distances. These surges may be the main trigger for tsunamis and responsible for >100 km of damage to seafloor cables; however, this requires validation. Coring of the seafloor and on onshore islands will provide the necessary sedimentological constraint to the eruptive timeline. This timely project offers a unique opportunity to determine the distribution, timing, behaviour and impact of pyroclastic flows, the linked and cascading hazards associated with such a major eruption, and new insights into many other volcanoes worldwide that pose similar hazards.