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<p>Explosive volcanic eruptions at sea or near coastlines can produce eruptive columns of hot gas and solidified magma fragments that may rise up to 50–55&#xa0;km before collapsing into the water. Long overlooked, this process has recently been proposed as a potential tsunami source, notably during the January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption. It offers a new perspective on tsunami generation and may shed light on historical events such as the 1883 Krakatau eruption. Yet, the tsunamigenic potential of eruptive column collapse into the sea remains largely hypothetical and poorly constrained. In this context, we present exploratory laboratory experiments on the vertical collapse of granular material into water, systematically varying the initial granular mass, drop height, and average particle volume concentration. Our study shows that (i) vertical granular collapse into water can generate tsunamis, (ii) the amplitude of the leading (first) wave is mainly controlled by the granular mass flow rate at impact, and (iii) the wave generation process differs quantitatively, but not qualitatively, from solid-block impacts. These findings provide experimental evidence of the tsunamigenic potential of eruptive column collapse and open new avenues for understanding and modeling this source mechanism, as well as for reinterpreting tsunamis reported during past eruptions.</p>

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Eruptive Column Collapse as a Source of Volcanic Tsunamis: An Experimental Investigation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月30日

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  • Céline Vaerewyck,
  • Raphaël Paris,
  • Olivier Roche,
  • Alexis Bougouin

摘要

Explosive volcanic eruptions at sea or near coastlines can produce eruptive columns of hot gas and solidified magma fragments that may rise up to 50–55 km before collapsing into the water. Long overlooked, this process has recently been proposed as a potential tsunami source, notably during the January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption. It offers a new perspective on tsunami generation and may shed light on historical events such as the 1883 Krakatau eruption. Yet, the tsunamigenic potential of eruptive column collapse into the sea remains largely hypothetical and poorly constrained. In this context, we present exploratory laboratory experiments on the vertical collapse of granular material into water, systematically varying the initial granular mass, drop height, and average particle volume concentration. Our study shows that (i) vertical granular collapse into water can generate tsunamis, (ii) the amplitude of the leading (first) wave is mainly controlled by the granular mass flow rate at impact, and (iii) the wave generation process differs quantitatively, but not qualitatively, from solid-block impacts. These findings provide experimental evidence of the tsunamigenic potential of eruptive column collapse and open new avenues for understanding and modeling this source mechanism, as well as for reinterpreting tsunamis reported during past eruptions.