Numerical Modelling of Tsunami Waves from Tonga Volcano on January 15, 2022

Authors

  • R. Kh Mazova

    Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev, Nizhny Novgorod 603155, Russia

  • Jorge Van Den Bosch F.

    Engineering Center Mitigation Natural Catastrophes, Faculty of Engineering, University of Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

  • Gustavo Oses A.

    Engineering Center Mitigation Natural Catastrophes, Faculty of Engineering, University of Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

  • Andrey Kurkin

    1. Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev, Nizhny Novgorod 603155, Russia; 2. V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute Far Eastern Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041, Russia

  • Ivan Smirnov

    Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev, Nizhny Novgorod 603155, Russia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i2.7686
Received: 10 November 2024 | Revised: 30 November 2024 | Accepted: 6 December 2024 | Published Online: 17 January 2025

Abstract

The paper considers a catastrophic event - the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on January 15, 2022. The process of preparation and eruption of Hunga Tonga volcano generated tsunami waves that were observed throughout the World Ocean. This event was notable for its unprecedented global impact and the early appearance of tsunami waves at distant coastal stations. So, the first waves at tide gauge stations in Chile and Peru were recorded 4 hours earlier than the arrival time of tsunami waves to the tide gauge after the eruption of Tonga volcano. Two mechanisms are possible for the generation of early tsunami waves: acoustic Lamb waves generated by a volcanic explosion and submarine landslides that occurred on the slopes of the volcano during the preparatory phase of the eruption. In this study, numerical simulation of various pre-eruption landslide scenarios on the slope of Hunga Tonga volcano is carried out in an attempt to explain these early tsunami waves. Under computation the elastoplastic model of landslide was taken into account. Wave characteristics of a tsunami on the coast of Chile and Peru generated by a landslide process on a volcanic slope are obtained. A detailed comparison of virtual tide gauge data with observational ones is used to validate this model. The results obtained can be used to improve early warning systems.

Keywords:

Volcanic Eruption; Landslide Process; Acoustic and Tsunami Waves; Numerical Simulation; Tsunami Wave Characteristics

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How to Cite

R. Kh Mazova, Jorge Van Den Bosch F., Gustavo Oses A., Andrey Kurkin, & Ivan Smirnov. (2025). Numerical Modelling of Tsunami Waves from Tonga Volcano on January 15, 2022. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 7(2), 13–30. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i2.7686