Magnetic Field Signatures of Tropospheric and Thermospheric Lamb Modes Triggered by the 15 January 2022 Tonga Volcanic Eruption

Intense eruptions of the Tonga volcano activated prominent traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) at 04:05UT on 15 January 2022. Himawari‐8 satellite images depict that TADs of the tropospheric Lamb wavefront propagate with a speed of 315 m/s and arrive in Taiwan at 11:30UT. Networks of 98 barometers, 28 tide gauges, an ionosonde, and 10 magnetometers are used to study the responses of magnetic fields to TADs in Taiwan. The horizontal components in magnetic field changes of the Taiwan magnetometers all point toward and away from the Tonga volcano at 11:00–12:00UT upon the tropospheric Lamb wavefront arrival and at 22:00–23:00UT when the thermospheric Lamb wavefront with speeds of 487 m/s coming, respectively. Analyses of the raytracing and beamforming techniques on the horizontal components in magnetic field changes of 69 INTERMAGNET magnetometers show that both tropospheric and thermospheric Lamb waves efficiently activate traveling ionospheric disturbances and modify ionospheric currents of the globe. Plain Language Summary At 04:05UT on 15 January 2022, intense Tonga volcanic eruptions induce prominent atmospheric disturbances and tsunami waves. Himawari‐8 meteorological satellite images depict the induced upper‐level tropospheric disturbances with horizontal speeds of about 315 m/s at 8.2 km altitude in the Lamb wave mode travel worldwide. Upon the traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) of the tropospheric Lamb wavefront arriving in Taiwan at 11:30UT, 98 ground‐based barometers register increases and reach peaks at about 11:50UT in the atmospheric pressure; 28 tide gauges record enhancements and maximums of sea level fluctuations at about 14:30–17:30UT; and a local ionosonde observes that the ionosphere reaches the highest altitude at 14:30UT. The changes of the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic fields measured by 10 Taiwan magnetometers almost all point exactly toward the Tonga volcano upon the tropospheric Lamb wavefront arrival at 11:00–12:00UT, and away from the volcano at 22:00–23:00UT, which suggests a 487 m/s TAD (or thermospheric Lamb wavefront) at about 130 km altitude also being activated. The horizontal components in magnetic field changes of 69 INTERMAGNET magnetometers show that both tropospheric and thermospheric Lamb waves triggered by Tonga volcanic eruptions are very powerful, and can induce intense dynamo currents and electric fields on the globe. Key Points Tropospheric and thermospheric Lamb waves of the Tonga volca