Hunga Tonga Eruption Triggered Unexpected Methane Destruction, Offering New Climate Insights

Scientists have discovered that the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption may have triggered a surprising chemical reaction that destroyed some of the methane released into the atmosphere. This unexpected finding, based on satellite observations of exceptionally high formaldehyde levels in the volcanic plume, suggests that highly reactive chlorine produced from seawater blasted into the stratosphere reacted with methane. This natural process could reshape estimates of methane pollution and inspire new methods for slowing near-term global warming.