Tracking Volcanic Atmospheric Waves: Insights from the 2022 Hunga Tonga Eruption observed with an Open Sensor Network in Bulgaria
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Date
2025-06-29
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Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski"
Abstract
The January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga was one of the most powerful volcanic events of the modern era, generating a vertical plume that reached over 50 kilometres above Earth’s surface. The initial explosion, followed by a high-speed atmospheric jet, triggered waves that circled the globe multiple times. The effects of the eruption on Bulgarian territory were detected and analysed using data from the METER.AC network, which includes a wide array of custom-designed and assembled ground monitoring stations, enhanced by a set of certified professional weather stations. These stations utilise the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm to
collect data from a variety of sensors and provide open access to the recorded measurements. We have developed a suite of algorithms to process the collected data through several methods, including semi-automated detection of wave minima and maxima, Fourier spectral analysis, and the integration of data from nearby instruments. This approach enabled us to identify and analyse the first two atmospheric waves that reached Bulgaria and to calculate their average propagation speeds—301 m/s and 315 m/s, respectively. This research highlights the significance and capability of the citizen science network, METER.AC, in providing valuable data for understanding global phenomena, particularly large-scale volcanic events. It also highlights the potential of IoT-based systems and data processing algorithms in advancing atmospheric research and environmental monitoring.
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Keywords
Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai Eruption, Atmospheric Waves, Monitoring network, METER.AC, IoT