On January 15, 2022, the submarine volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai erupted off the coast of the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific, causing tsunamis that reached Japan and other countries along the Pacific coast. IRIDeS researchers have collected relevant information and analyzed data since the time immediately after the eruption, launching a web page on January 31st, 2022, to post the results (https://irides.tohoku.ac.jp/research/prompt_investigation/2022_tonga-vol-tsunami.html). Dr. Kwanchai Pakoksung, Associate Professor Anawat Suppasri, and Professor Fumihiko Imamura analyzed the tsunamis caused by the submarine volcanic eruption in Tonga (excluding air-sea waves) and visualized the propagation of these tsunamis in a small area (Tonga region), a mid-sized area (Oceania), and a large area (the Pacific Ocean) using computer graphics (CG). The CG images can be viewed on the above web page.

Tsunami Propagation to the Coast of Japan（from the analyzed results）

 

 

The tsunamis that occurred at this time cannot be explained fully by existing scientific understanding. Professor Fumihiko Imamura has responded to media interviews since immediately after the disaster, explaining these tsunamis based on a hypothesis from the perspective of tsunami engineering. 　

 

In the future, IRIDeS researchers will collaborate with the Tongan government and researchers of other universities to conduct interdisciplinary surveys and studies on this disaster.

 

 

 

Maximum water level and arrival time

 

 

 

 

 

 

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