Phys.org September 7, 2023 In December 2021, an undersea volcano in the southern Pacific Ocean, the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai (Hunga volcano) began erupting. In January 2022 the eruption reached a powerful climax, triggering atmospheric waves that traveled around the globe and a tsunami that swept across the Pacific Ocean. An estimated 75% of Earth’s volcanoes are underwater, and 20% of all fatalities caused by volcanic eruptions since 1600 CE have been associated with underwater volcanism. Yet, explosive underwater eruptions are poorly understood. An international team of researchers (UK, New Zealand, Kingdom of Tonga, Australia, USA – industry) reported that volcanic […]
Tag Archives: Underwater volcanoes
Tonga is home to 170 islands. A new one just formed from an underwater volcanic eruption
Phys.org September 27, 2022 The Pacific nation of Tonga is made up of 170 islands, but it just welcomed its newest addition—thanks to an underwater volcano. Near the center of the nation’s island formation lies the Home Reef volcano in the South Pacific. On Sept. 10, the volcano began to erupt for the first known time since 2006, oozing lava and ejecting plumes of steam and ash in and above water, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory. Just 11 hours after the eruption began, a new island had appeared, and NASA confirmed its formation with satellite images. When the island was […]