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Ash from the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano was visible from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
The most powerful undersea volcano ever recorded had an impact on our entire planet—from pole to pole, and all the way to outer space. And it may continue to impact parts of the world for years.
The Hunga Tonga volcano is in the southern Pacific Ocean, well east of Australia. It staged a massive eruption in January of 2022. It blasted more than two cubic miles of rock and ash into the sky, and created tsunamis all across the Pacific. Shock waves in the atmosphere raced around the planet for days.
Satellites and balloons recorded effects at altitudes of up to about 180 miles. The eruption rattled the ionosphere—an electrically charged region that extends well into space. That disrupted some GPS signals and radio communications.
Hunga Tonga also blasted about 150 million tons of water vapor into the atmosphere. By late 2023, most of the water was still there. In fact, a layer of atmosphere a few dozen miles high contained more water vapor than had ever been seen there before.
In the southern hemisphere, the combination of water vapor and sulfur from the eruption damaged the ozone layer during the winter and spring of 2023.
And one study found that the aftermath of the eruption could affect the climate in parts of the world through 2029. North America could see warmer winters, while the winters in Scandinavia and parts of Australia could be colder and wetter—lingering effects of a monster volcano.
