The effect of the eruption of mount Hunga-Tonga on density altitude, air pressure and flight operations in eastern Indonesian

Abstract

There was an eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in the Pacific Ocean on January 15, 2022 and produced the phenomenon of Shock Waves in the atmosphere, in addition to sonic booms, and tsunami waves that spread to various parts of the world. Data from the automated weather observing system (AWOS) in several Airports in Indonesia were analyzed to assess the impact of the eruption of Mount Tonga on the Indonesian atmosphere. There are sudden changes in air pressure (QNH) at locations (Airports) including Sorong, Wamena, Ternate, Sumbawa, Biak, Geser, Lombok, Sabu, and Kupang, with a range between 0.6 to 1.9 Mb. These atmospheric waves propagate at a speed of about 1248 km/hour. This drastic change in air pressure is not followed by a significant change in density altitude which affects the effectiveness of the aircraft’s lift, but a sudden change will cause a change in air pressure (QNH) in the altimeter which can cause a change in aircraft altitude. This sudden change has high probability to result in a plane crash due to a stall or undershoot or collision with aircraft.