One year on from massive eruption in South Pacific, the atmosphere is still feeling the effects
Scientists make ‘once in a lifetime’ observations as Hunga Tonga volcano found to have warmed the planet
In mid-January last year, the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted, sending masses of seawater and volcanic material high into the atmosphere. It was the most powerful volcanic eruption in almost 140 years and extraordinary satellite images captured the huge ash plume and shockwave triggered by the blast.
A tsunami up to 20m high killed at least four people in nearby Tonga, with the South Pacific island nation also blanketed in a thick layer of ash. Further effects were felt all along the Pacific rim, with another two people killed by waves as far away as Peru. The blast was even detected by seismometers 18,000km away.
One year on, the huge volume of material injected into the air is continuing to affect our planet’s atmospheric chemistry.