The Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic Eruption as Seen in Satellite Microwave Observations and MiRS Temperature Retrievals

The strongest volcanic eruption since the 19th century occurred on 15 January 2022 at Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai, generating unprecedented atmospheric waves not seen before in observations. We used satellite microwave observations from (a) Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)‐20 and the Suomi‐National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (SNPP) and (b) Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU)‐A on board Meteorological operational satellite (MetOp)‐B/MetOp‐C to study these waves in the stratosphere immediately after the eruption. The NOAA Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MiRS) was applied to these microwave observations to produce atmospheric temperature profiles. The atmospheric Lamb wave and fast‐traveling gravity waves are clearly revealed in both the brightness temperatures and the MiRS retrieved temperatures, revealing their vertical phase structures. This study is the first attempt to perform a detailed analysis of the stratospheric impact of the Tonga eruption on operational satellite microwave observations and the corresponding MiRS retrievals. Plain Language Summary The strongest volcanic eruption since the 19th century occurred on 15 January 2022 at Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai. The microwave instruments onboard the currently operational satellites observed the area in the vicinity of the eruption. The eruption impacts were most obvious at high altitudes (the stratosphere) in the observed microwave brightness temperatures. Additionally, atmospheric temperature profiles have been retrieved using the satellite measured microwave brightness temperatures. The retrieved atmospheric temperature fields also show the impacts of the volcanic eruption in the stratosphere. This study is the first attempt to perform a detailed analysis of the impact of the Tonga volcanic eruption using operational satellite microwave observations and the corresponding retrievals. Key Points Microwave observations from multiple satellites capture stratospheric waves from the Tonga eruption, including Lamb and gravity waves MiRS atmospheric temperature retrievals also resolve wave perturbations in the stratosphere after the eruption The Lamb wave and the lead gravity wave show no apparent phase change with height, whereas the trailing gravity waves do