The Eruption Heard 10,000 Kilometres Away
In January 2022, an underwater volcano in Tonga exploded so powerfully that people in Alaska, 10,000 kilometres away, heard a series of booms.
What was reported
On 15 January 2022, the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, in the South Pacific, erupted in one of the largest explosions of modern times. It sent ash high into the atmosphere and triggered tsunamis across the Pacific.
The sound of the blast travelled astonishing distances. People in Alaska, about 10,000 kilometres away, reported hearing repeated booms, like distant gunfire. The pressure wave from the explosion was recorded by barometers all around the world as it circled the planet several times.
Explanations offered
It was the most powerful volcanic explosion recorded with modern instruments, and its sound travelled further than any since the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883. Scientists are still studying how the pressure wave moved through the atmosphere.
- When
- 15 January 2022
- Where
- Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, Tonga
- Witnesses
- People across the Pacific, Alaska and beyond, and instruments worldwide
- Status
- Confirmed
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