From the Cliff High Volume Weather Blog
Yesterday, around 0400 UTC January 15 (8 p.m. PST January 14), a large, explosive eruption occurred near Tonga, in the tropical south Pacific Ocean, about 5642 miles from Seattle. miles (see map).
The volcano is evident in satellite images from the massive ash cloud (see below, about 1 hour after the eruption)
The explosion created Shockwave in the atmosphere (pressure waves) travel rapidly. These waves are evident in some infrared images (steam channels) as concentric rings (shown below).
The eruption in the ocean also pushed away large quantities of water, creating tsunamis on nearby islands (such as Tonga) and deep-water waves that traveled away at the speed of a jet, reaching the West Coast in this morning. This is why several local tsunami warnings were issued this morning.
Pressure wave to the Northwest
Local barometers show a well-defined pressure wave passing over our region at about 4:30 a.m. this morning. In Seattle, the University of Washington barometer showed this feature, with an amplitude of about 2 hPa (2 mb). Arrows indicate features. Very impressive.
So it takes about eight hours and 30 minutes to go about 5643 miles – a speed of about 664 miles per hour. This corresponds to the speed of sound in an altitude of about 30,000 ft. Makes sense.
Water waves move more slowly, around 400 mph (and sometimes approaching 500 mph).… So is expected to appear later. Thus, at the Gulf of Neah, at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the waves arrived at about 9 a.m. (17:00 UTC as shown on the chart), represented by the heaviness of the water level after the time. that point. The amplitude of the oscillation is about 2 feet.
If you really want to be impressive, check out the same number in Monterey, California. Rub. Amplitude up to 3-4 feet.
An incredible event and one that shows how interconnected our planet is – both in the air and in the water.
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