Hunga Tonga Volcano Eruption Update; New Images of Destroyed Volcano

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga on January 15th produced a large and destructive tsunami through a new volcanic eruption. This tsunami occurred due to partial edifice collapse, which destroyed the vast majority of the existing island. Instead of a once 4 kilometer or 2.4 mile wide island, there are now only two small barrier islands. During the peak of this eruption, more than 200,000 lightning strikes occurred within the eruption column. What had just occurred was likely the most powerful volcanic eruption in a decade. This video will separate fact from fiction, and discuss the eruption, what its true magnitude is, and what might happen next at Hunga Tonga. It is a very famous volcano as it has produced several spectacular island forming eruptions in the 21st century.


Volcanic ash advisory center:
For information on potential ash advisories of this volcano, select the Wellington center.

Special Thanks to: @alakihihifo, @platformadam, ADAM Platform

0:00 Hunga Tonga Erupts
0:28 A Destroyed Island
0:53 200,000 lightning strikes
1:33 Pressure Wave
1:50 Will the eruption affect the climate?
2:28 Eruption Plume Height
3:03 Damaged Cables
3:23 An eruption report
Google Earth imagery used in this video: ©Google & Data Providers

Satellite Video/Photo Credit: NOAA, NASA, GOES WEST 17, Public Domain & Japan Meteorological Agency, CC BY 4.0

[GeologyHub]

It is quite possible that particulates of ash fell as far away as Australia due to the eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai. If you see particles of ash on the ground or on your vehicle, let me know. If you live in an area with measurable ash, I wish to also know how far you are from the eruption and how thick the ash is (negligible/trace/depth in mm). Also, your sunrises and sunsets for the next week in Queensland and Fiji will look abnormal due to the volcanic eruption.
On a final note, viewers have observed that unusual ocean currents from the tsunami are still ongoing, albeit with a lessened impact compared to those witnessed on day 1.

[UndoneOne]

This right here is what professional geology should look like. Oh, see the facts, never saw those before so succinctly! Excellent data provided, much appreciated!

[ryanwebb]

Thank you for clarifying the "second eruption." I had read a few articles making this claim but couldn't find anything to validate the claims. It was a mystery to me until now. In the mean time keep up the excellent work!

[chadharris]

Finally some validating factual content that gives context and keeps it simple. This is the first video I have watched of yours and I appreciate your clarification on this. Keep up the good work.

[debbiecurtis]

This is dreadful. So awful for the people of Tonga, and nearby islands.

[KoploperMau]

Amazing power of the eruption. Great update. Can I request something for future videos; If you talk about eruptions (like right now) could you not use images of the 14th January eruption if you talk about the big eruption? The images that we see from the boat are not the 15th of January explosion eruption, right? I don't mind you using the images, but please put a text that that is another eruption, preferably with date if that is possible and known. Thanks for your amazing videos.

[Sacto]

Keep an eye on the volcano, though. This may be the first of several major eruptions at this volcano, one that could be more intense, something like the eruptions on Thera (Santorini) or Krakatau.

[Mpnavy]

I'd like to add, that even Icelandic meteorological stations picked up the shockwave.

[sharronweis]

Thank you, I am in Oregon, but have extended family in Tonga. Your information has eased my concerns. The information regarding the communications is promising.

[sammybear]

Thank you for explaining the lightning strikes & the cloud veil. It's good to study life threatening weather. Some sources are to shallow to agree.

[maxpower]

The short duration of this eruption makes me suspicious that it was not the climax of the current eruptive sequence, despite its enormous intensity. This eruption released potentially up to a cubic kilometer of material in less than 10 minutes, while Mt St Helens took eight whole hours to do the same. That kind of flow rate implies the far more than 1km3 of magma trying to make its way to the surface

[bigrooster]

Definitely the most surprising eruption this century.

[projectjster]

Found your channel a few days ago after the eruption and you pack a lot of quality information into a short time. Thank you for this.

[kylerhopkins]

Congratulations on getting past 100k subscribers. You definitely deserve it. :)
Can't wait for next video.

[masonramsay]

We are getting amazing sunsets last 2 nights in Mildura NW Victoria Australia

[masonramsay]

We are getting amazing sunsets in Mildura NW Victoria Australia

[ericmcconnaughey]

You're my go to site for all volcano info. Fantastic! Keep it up!

[kirbycraft]

Thank you for touching on the possible weather effect of this eruption. I do believe that maybe not noticed by some, that this will have an effect on our weather for a couple of years to come. I remember Mt. Pinatubo, and it affected sunsets for a few years, and we had a few record low temperatures in Durham a winter or two afterwards. I mean single digits.

[TN]

The scientific name for the supercell thunderstorm produced is known as Cumulonimbus Flammagenitus, or more simply, PyroCumulonimbus, and is most commonly seen over very large wildfires (like the huge fires in British Columbia during the summer of 2021, or the fires in California that formed actual tornadoes, or even the texas pyrosupercell in 2018) or in some cases volcanic eruptions, like this eruption, or eruptions like Mt St Helens which produced lightning. Basically to sum it up, the intense heat and water vapor (from either fires burning things like trees or other things that have a high level of moisture, or in the case of volcanoes seawater or water from icecaps/crater lakes) creates lift and instability and convection in the atmosphere, and the particulate matter in the smoke or ash act as condensation nuclei, which allows the clouds to form from the fire or eruption instead of the normal process of evaporation and solar heating creating convective currents which helps to build clouds. Another, smaller type of cloud, called Flammagenitus or pyrocumulus, is again the same process as mentioned before, except pyrocumulonimbus is the next stage. Once a pyrocumulonimbus develops, its effects ae usually similar to normal CB, like lighting, strong winds, precipitation ETC. very fascinating and interesting topic to study.

[hestheMaster]

A great factual update. You're always the place to go on YT for important volcano news GH! Thanks so much.