Unexpectedly rapid aerosol formation in the Hunga Tonga plume

Abstract

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HT-HH) volcanic eruptions on January 13 and 15, 2022, produced a plume with the highest signal in stratospheric aerosol optical depth observed since the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. Suites of balloon-borne instruments on a series of launches from Réunion Island intercepted the HT-HH plume between 7 and 10 d of the eruptions, yielding observations of the aerosol number and size distribution and sulfur dioxide (SO2) and water vapor (H2O) concentrations. The measurements reveal an unexpected abundance of large particles in the plume, constrain the total sulfur injected to approximately 0.2 Tg, provide information on the altitude of the injection, and indicate that the formation of sulfuric acid aerosol was complete within 3 wk. Large H2O enhancements contributed as much as ∼30% to ambient aerosol surface area and likely accelerated SO2 oxidation and aerosol formation rates in the plume to approximately three times faster than under normal stratospheric conditions.