Tonga volcanic eruption was the biggest explosion ever, scientists find
by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller
It was 15 January when Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted, but only now has it been found as the biggest explosion ever recorded by modern instrumentation.
According to academic journal Science, the Tonga eruption produced a larger amplitude than nuclear bombs conducted after World War II.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai generated what are known as lamb waves.
These lamb waves circled the earth at least four times, which has never been done before. At their tallest, they exceeded beyond Earth’s surface.
A disaster of similar scale is the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, in which 70% of the Indonesian island was destroyed - killing 30,000 people.
"Tonga was a truly global event, just as Krakatau was, but we've now got all these geophysical observation systems and they recorded something that was really unprecedented in the modern data," The University of California’s Dr Robin Matoza told BBC News.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Those as far north as Alaska reported hearing repeated booms.
- Tonga’s volcano blast was so colossal it was picked by nuclear activity monitors. Its atmospheric pressure wave was larger than the biggest ever nuclear explosion.
- Clouds were lifted in the UK.
- The resulting tsunami from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai made waves not only in the Pacific Ocean, but also in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Damages caused by the eruption and subsequent tsunami are estimated at NZD$142 million, says the World Bank.
It’s a hefty bill for the idyllic paradise, four months in along an arduous road to recovery.
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Top photo: New Zealand Defense Force
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