Eruption

Tonga volcano: Massive eruption was a once-in-a-millennium event

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The underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption has already triggered a tsunami, a sonic boom and thousands of lightning bolts, and could now lead to acid rain Earth 17 January 2022 By Alice Klein Satellite photo of the eruption CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS The massive explosion of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga on Saturday was its … Read more

Why Was The Volcano Explosion in Tonga So Violent, And What to Expect Now?

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The Kingdom of Tonga doesn’t often attract global attention, but a violent eruption of an underwater volcano on January 15 has spread shock waves, quite literally, around half the world.   The volcano is usually not much to look at. It consists of two small uninhabited islands, Hunga-Ha’apai and Hunga-Tonga, poking about 100 meters (328 … Read more

Huge Tonga underwater volcano eruption captured in stunning satellite video

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A powerful underwater volcano eruption in Tonga on Saturday (Jan. 15) was captured as it happened in stunning images from an Earth-watching satellite, showing the sheer power for the explosive event in the South Pacific.  The volcano eruption on the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai is visible as a spectacular explosion in views from the … Read more

4-foot tsunami hits Tonga after explosive eruption of underwater volcano

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A tsunami triggered by the explosive eruption of the underwater Tonga volcano in the Pacific Ocean slammed the shoreline of the Pacific nation Saturday (Jan. 15), sending residents rushing for higher ground, according to news reports.  A 4-foot-tall (1.2 meters) tsunami reportedly hit Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa, which is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south … Read more

Explosive underwater volcano eruption in Tonga spotted from space in satellite images

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Satellites orbiting Earth captured a powerful undersea volcanic eruption from space on Thursday (Jan. 13). In the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga, which is made up of over 170 islands, the (mostly) underwater volcano on the island Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted, sending plumes up to 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air, the Tonga Geological … Read more

What We Learned From a Dead Star Erupting With The Fire And Fury of 100,000 Suns

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In a nearby galaxy, a rare kind of dead star erupted into a giant outburst. This in itself may not be so peculiar; but, for the first time, changes in its brightness during this event have been documented in detail, giving scientists a window into understanding the processes that produce these colossal flares.   The … Read more

Astronomers Report a Monstrous Eruption from a Supermagnetic Star

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A dense, magnetic star violently erupted and spat out as much energy as a billion suns — and it happened in a fraction of a second, scientists recently reported. This type of star, known as a magnetar, is a neutron star with an exceptionally strong magnetic field, and magnetars often flare spectacularly and without warning. But even though … Read more

This record-breaking black hole eruption could cover 16 full moons in the sky

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Astronomers have produced a detailed image of a massive eruption from the nearest feeding supermassive black hole that spans the size of 16 full moons in the sky. The image, capturing radio emissions of material ejected by the black hole at nearly the speed of light, shows gigantic lobes of plasma spreading more than a … Read more

Canary Islands Eruption Resets Volcano Forecasts

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Christopher Intagliata: For three months now, the Cumbre Vieja volcano has unleashed fury upon the island of La Palma, in the Spanish Canary Islands. Ash has rained from the sky. Rivers of lava have consumed at least 2600 buildings, and razed plantations of bananas and avocados. The magma’s movement underground has triggered clusters of earthquakes … Read more