Summary
Acoustic and free-surface gravity waves have been considered as separate phenomena due to the disparate length- and time-scales that characterises them. Recent studies show that acoustic-gravity wave interaction is possible via a nonlinear triad mechanism. Such interaction allows energy exchange which could explain various natural phenomena. Here, attention is focused on the a large-scale nonlinear interaction, between atmospheric acoustic waves and surface ocean waves. As a case study we consider the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami, and show that such a nonlinear resonance mechanism can explain the generation and amplification of the tsunami.
