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Date Published: 20/01/2022

ARCHIVED - Tonga volcano creates meteotsunamis off the coast of Murcia

The shock wave from the Pacific eruption caused the sea level in the Region of Murcia to rise 15 centimetres

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Tonga volcano creates meteotsunamis off the coast of Murcia

The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in the South Pacific has generated a shock wave that was felt throughout the planet and the incredible event caused sudden changes in the sea level off Cartagena, tens of thousands of kilometres away.

Meteorological stations in Murcia confirmed that the Tonga eruption altered atmospheric pressure in the Spanish Region around 16 hours after the event, which occurred at dawn on Saturday January 15 more than 17,000 kilometres away. According to regional Aemet spokesperson Juan Esteban Palenzuela, the shock waves “spread in all directions, which produces variations in the pressure field of the atmosphere”.

This variable pressure was transferred to the sea and changed the level of water off the coast of Murcia almost a day after the eruption, creating what are known as meteotsunamis – tsunami-like waves that occur as a result of sudden and extreme meteorological phenomena.

Reaching speeds of up to 1,000 kilometres per hour, the shock waves caused sea levels in the Port of Cartagena to fluctuate up to 15 centimetres at noon on Sunday, a little less than in the Valencian Community, where sea level alterations of 20 centimetres were recorded. The speed and current of the water underwent several changes in both the Port of Cartagena and Cabo de Palos, while sea levels oscillated widely for 24 hours in Águilas.

The most striking meteotsunamis were recorded between the coast of Alicante, in towns such as Torrevieja and Pilar de la Horadada, and Cartagena.

Image: Tonga Geological Services

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