The eruption of the underwater volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Haapai, located in the Tonga archipelago, provoked a tsunami threat in the South Pacific Ocean and directly caused flooding on the islands of the state of the same name.
According to the US Geological Survey, the tremors in the area of the eruption had a magnitude of 4. The focus was at a depth of 33 km. The eruption lasted about 12 hours. A plume of ash, gas and steam rose to a height of 5-20 km above sea level. Tsunami warnings were issued in Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, and in Tonga itself, a “big wave” was indeed observed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHIujMY1nj8
The eruption forced the authorities of the Pacific country to evacuate King Tupou VI from the palace in the capital – Nuku’alofa, since the epicenter of the geological incident was located in close proximity.
According to local media, the tsunami flooded a number of areas in Nuku’alofa, including the area near the residence of the monarch. According to preliminary data, there are no casualties.
Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Haapai – both an underwater volcano and an island in the Tonga archipelago. The island was formed in 2014 after the explosion of a volcano between the two islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Haapai. The young island is a so-called parasitic volcanic cone that has grown in its underwater caldera. The current volcanic eruption is the first in almost a month: the previous one occurred on December 19-20, 2021.
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