The satellite appears to be picking up waves after the eruption of the volcano

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A European Earth observation satellite has captured images of what appear to be waves spreading after the eruption of an underwater volcano off the island of Tonga on January 15.

The satellite passed near Tonga and collected data about 13 hours after the eruption. The satellite’s radar allows for detailed monitoring of the Earth’s surface and changes in the sea surface.

Tofua Island, about 100 kilometers north of the volcano, is near the center of satellite images. Semicircular waves extending over tens of kilometers can be seen around the island.

Professor Mori Nobuhito at Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute is an expert on tsunamis and high waves. He said the pictures were taken of the sea surface changing after the explosion.

Morey noted that each wave was up to five kilometers away from the next, a much narrower period compared to tsunamis generated by earthquakes.

He said this resulted in a shorter period between each wave, which is consistent with what was indicated by data collected by tidal gauges at various locations after the explosion.

This observation is very rare, Morey said, and the data is important to help understand how the sea surface changed after the eruption.

He added that if the intervals are shorter, the waves tend to move in a complex way, because they are reflected off the terrain.

Even half a day after the volcano erupted, Mori said waves of short duration appeared to be moving back and forth in the Pacific Ocean, which could lead to waves of various heights observed around Japan.

He also said that sea surface change was a very rare and complex phenomenon caused by multiple factors, including the change in atmospheric pressure after the explosion.

He said he believed that spatial data would lead to a deeper understanding of the entire phenomenon.

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