Tonga eruption on a par with Krakatoa, study says - Daily Mail

Tonga's volcanic eruption in January produced the strongest recorded waves from a volcano since the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, scientists say. .

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, created sound waves heard as far as Alaska 6,200 miles away when it erupted on January 15. .

It was significantly larger than every atmospheric nuclear bomb test, meteor explosion and volcanic eruption in history, including Mt.

Just before nightfall reached Tonga, the eruption (lower left) sent atmospheric waves around the globe. Radar surveys before and after this month's eruption show only small parts remain of two Tongan islands above the volcano – Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted in January .

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted on January 15

The island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai was destroyed by the volcanic eruption in January, leaving two small remnant islands. 

Prior to the explosion, the twin uninhabited islands Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai were merged by a volcanic cone to form one landmass

Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai are themselves remnants of the northern and western rim of the volcano's caldera – the hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber.  

After the eruption, Lamb waves travelled along Earth's surface and circled the planet in one direction four times and in the opposite direction three times, the authors found

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption on January 15 caused many effects, like atmospheric waves, extreme winds and unusual electric currents, that were felt around the world and even into space

Scientists noted other findings about atmospheric waves from the eruption, including remarkable long-range infrasound — sounds too low in frequency to be heard by humans

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted on January 15

Prior to the explosion earlier this month, the twin uninhabited islands Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai were merged by a volcanic cone to form one landmass

Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai are themselves remnants of the northern and western rim of the volcano's caldera – the hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber.