Transient ice ring observed during the 15 January 2022 eruption of Hunga volcano

Journal article

The eruption of Hunga volcano on 15 January 2022 was an exceptional event in the satellite era. Record-breaking heights of the volcanic plume were reported, a large amount of water was injected into the stratosphere and a broad spectrum of atmospheric waves were detected. Here, we use satellite measurements to show that a transient ring of small ice particles (~2 μm) formed around the plume. We hypothesize that the ice ring was generated by the passage of an atmospheric wave triggered by a pressure pulse at the surface corresponding to a violent explosion that occurred during the 15 January 2022 eruption sequence. The passage of the atmospheric wave produced a transient rarefaction in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere, which in turn led to oscillations in ambient temperature. Due to the supersaturated state of the atmosphere with respect to ice, ice particles formed in the wake of the radially propagating atmospheric wave, allowing an exceptional opportunity to study ice particle growth via vapour deposition. This atmospheric phenomenon serves as an important natural experiment that reveals the time scale on which ice particles nucleate and grow given an abrupt perturbation in ambient temperature.

Authors: Prata, AT; Grainger, RG; Taylor, IA; Lambert, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Communications Earth & Environment
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Article number: 901
• Publication date: 2025-11-14
• Acceptance date: 2025-10-03
• DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02875-0
• EISSN: 2662-4435
• ISSN: 2662-4435
• Language: English