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Did you know that after the recent eruption of the Tonga volcano, a tsunami measuring just a few inches was observed in Puerto Rico?
Our partners at the International Tsunami Information Center Caribbean Office report that this tsunami was observed 12 hours after the eruption — well before the tsunami waves reached western coasts of North and South America, and in about half the time they would expect a tsunami to propagate across the oceans. What happened?
It seems this particular tsunami was the result of the change in air pressure caused by the eruption, which in turn displaced the water column, generating the tsunami. The image shows the barometric pressure jump and shortly after the tsunami in Mayagüez which was just a couple of inches.
If you’d like to join an upcoming a virtual session to learn about more about tsunamis and what you can do now to prepare for one, just register at the link below.
