Deep in the South Pacific near Tonga, the ocean surface suddenly opened. The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted with extraordinary force, sending a vertical column of ash, steam, and volcanic gases tens of kilometers into the atmosphere. From the air, its core glowing orange as superheated material burst upward, while a shockwave spread outward across the ocean surface. What you’re seeing isn’t just smoke. It’s a rapidly expanding plume where seawater, magma, and gas collided. As magma co

The New Zealand High Commission recently returned to Hunga to see what had become of Tonga's newest island, which formed between Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai islands following an underwater volcanic eruption in January 2015. Experts said the new island would probably exist only a few months until ocean waves wore it down. Take a look at what we found. Video credit: New Zealand High Commission. | New Zealand High Commission, Nuku'alofa, Tonga

NASA has followed the Pacific Islands evolution for years. Then Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted. 🌋 “It gave us a window into a rapid-paced life history of an island that we can compare to hundreds of other islands in the oceans over time,” said Jim Garvin, Chief Scientist at NASA Goddard. Through the eyes of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and ESA - European Space Agency satellites, scientists are able to study the life cycle of volcanic islands – from formation to erupti

The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai is a volcanic island in Tonga that was effectively erased by the massive underwater eruption in January 2022. Formation and destruction: The island initially formed in 2014–2015 from volcanic activity. However, the catastrophic eruption on January 15, 2022, obliterated much of the island — satellite radar data revealed that most of the land had vanished, leaving only remnants of the original structures. #geology #geologyfeatures #geologist #geologywonders | Geology