The BAQUNIN microbarometer installed at the urban observatory of the Sapienza Campus (Rome, Italy) recorded the shock wave due to the explosion of the Hunga Tona-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, which reached Italy on the evening of 15 January 2022. The isolated peak at 19:52 UTC (red ellipse) is evident, with a pressure increase of about 1.6 mbar. The oscillations following the main peak are linked to other shock waves that reached the station from different directions.

Since the eruption, which released aerosols, gas, and ash into the atmosphere up to 30 km high, lasted a few minutes, it is not yet certain what its effect on the global climate will be.

The panels below show the eruption photographed by the Tongal Geophysical Services (left) and the satellite Himawari-8 image of the explosion (right).