Scientists have found that the 2022 eruption of an underwater volcano in the South Pacific triggered a chemical process that removed significant amounts of methane from the atmosphere. The discovery, detailed in a new study, shows how volcanic ash and seawater combined to break down the potent greenhouse gas.
In January 2022 the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano produced a powerful eruption that sent ash and seawater high into the stratosphere. Satellite data later revealed unusually high concentrations of formaldehyde within the plume, a clear sign that methane was being destroyed over several days. Researchers tracked the cloud for ten days as it moved toward South America. Dr. Maarten van Herpen of Acacia Impact Innovation BV noted that the continuous presence of formaldehyde indicated ongoing methane breakdown for more than a week.