The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai's volcanic plume properties as observed during the Brazil Volcano (BraVo) experiments
Résumé
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) eruption will remain an exceptional event, not by the amount of SO2 injected but by the unprecedented levels of H2O released into the atmosphere at altitudes never observed in the satellite era. Although HTHH injected only 0.42 Tg of SO2, the stratospheric aerosol optical depth persisted for at least 1.5 years at levels 3-4 times higher than what was expected based on equivalent injection by other tropical volcanoes. To shed light on this eruption, the Brazil Volcano (BraVo) experiment, which started in May 2022, deployed a suite of lightweight balloon-borne sensors to measure water vapor, ozone, and aerosol optical, microphysical, and chemical properties. During this presentation, we will address the following science questions: What are the optical, physical, and chemical properties of the HTHH plume observed during BraVo? Did HTHH inject a significant amount of sea salt into the stratosphere? What are the implications of HTHH eruption on radiation and climate? The balloon-borne measurements of the plume will be compared with satellite observations from CALIPSO and SAGE-III/ISS. In addition, the GEOS-Chem and ECHAM simulations will be used to assess the impacts of HTHH eruption on stratospheric aerosol optical depth, radiation, and climate.