The submarine volcanic eruption off the Tonga archipelago in January this year was the largest ever measured with modern measuring equipment, researchers have confirmed today. The New Zealand research institute NIWA found that the equivalent of 2.6 million seafloor Olympic swimming pools were displaced during the eruption. That is a third more than the initial estimates indicated.
On January 15, the named submarine volcano erupted Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai from. A huge cloud of ash and gas was blown into the air. Some particles reached heights of more than 40 kilometers.
Up to the mesosphere
“The eruption was record-breaking and the first we’ve ever seen break into the mesosphere,” said marine geologist Kevin Mackay. The mesosphere is one of the layers of air in the Earth’s atmosphere.
LOOK. The massive eruption of the submarine volcano was clearly visible even from space
Shock wave perceptible to us
The shock wave associated with the eruption was visible as far as Belgium. The air pressure suddenly shot up, only to take a quick dive down again.
Earlier, after careful analysis, it became clear that the eruption of the volcano near Tonga is the largest explosive eruption of the 21st century and is on a par with the largest eruptions on record.
Now it also appears to be approaching the infamous 1883 eruption of Krakatoa volcano in size. At the time, it made tens of thousands of victims in Indonesia. However, the exact size of Krakatoa’s eruption is not known. That could not be measured at the time.
Tsunami and ash rain
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption created a tsunami that swept parts of Tonga. Three people were killed as a result. Abnormally high waves also killed two in Peru, 10,000 kilometers away.
In addition, parts of the archipelago, including the capital Nuku’alofa, were covered in a thick layer of ash. Hallucinatory images of it went around the world. Another submarine internet cable was also torn by the impact, making communication between the archipelago and the mainland difficult for weeks.
700 meters deeper
Despite the massive seafloor displacement, the flank of the volcano remained largely intact. But the crater of the submarine volcano is now 700 meters deeper than before the eruption.
Shock wave from volcanic eruption near Tonga also reached Belgium: “Air pressure suddenly shot up”
LOOK. How does a submarine volcanic eruption actually occur? Our science expert Martijn Peters explained it clearly in January
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