Hunga Tonga’s record-breaking eruption removed 900 metric tons of methane per day

The enormous cloud blasted into the atmosphere by the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption carried an unexpected surprise. Inside it, methane was disappearing at an unusually rapid rate.Satellite observations indicate that roughly 900 ± 220 metric tons of methane were oxidized each day in the volcanic plume. Researchers traced that destruction indirectly through formaldehyde, a short-lived chemical produced as methane breaks down.The findings, published in Nature Communications by Dr. Maarten van Herpen of Acacia Impact Innovation BV and his team, turn one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions of the modern era into an unusual experiment in atmospheric chemistry.The research also shows how satellites could measure enhanced methane removal, a capability that may become important if future efforts seek to deliberately accelerate methane destruction.A fleeting chemical leaves a lasting clueThe key signal came from TROPOMI, an instrument aboard the Sentinel-5P satellite.TROPOMI detected formaldehyde concentrations reaching 12 parts per billion, with…