Scientists stunned as volcano cloud starts destroying methane

When Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai erupted beneath the South Pacific in January 2022, the explosion ranked among the most powerful volcanic events of the modern era. But researchers have now uncovered an unexpected consequence of that eruption: the enormous volcanic cloud appears to have helped destroy some of the methane pollution produced by the volcano itself.

The finding could have implications far beyond a single eruption. Scientists are increasingly interested in ways to reduce methane in the atmosphere because the gas is a major contributor to global warming and disappears much faster than carbon dioxide. Understanding how nature can accelerate that process could eventually help researchers develop new strategies for slowing near-term warming.

Researchers made the discovery using satellite observations of the huge plume created by the eruption. They detected exceptionally high levels of formaldehyde, a chemical that provided an important clue about what was happening inside the cloud.