Pressure wave from Tonga eruption

On January 15, 2022 at 04:15h UTC (05:15h Berlin time CET), an M 5.8 volcanic eruption occurred on Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, an uninhabited volcanic island of the Tongan archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. The eruption was one of the largest underwater volcanic eruption in decades. The explosion was so massive it sent shockwaves around the world.

More than half a day later, we measured the air pressure wave in Erlangen, first as a compression wave of amplitude 1.4 hPa at 20:32h CET and then as a decompression wave of amplitude -0.7 hPa at 02:32h CET. The second wave traveled in opposite direction and took a few hours longer to reach Erlangen.

Pretty awesome how our two simple barometric pressure sensors can clearly detect major volcanic events around the globe!