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December 29, 2021 - Hunga Tonga-Hung Ha'apai Volcano
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On December 20, 2021, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted, sending a cloud of gas and steam high into the air and bringing a dramatic end to a short period of quiescence. The volcano’s last activity was December 2014-January 2015, when the submarine mount, located between two islands (Hunga Ha’api and Hunga Tonga), sent ash plumes as high as 10 km (6.2 miles) and spilled enough lava to create a new island. Ultimately, the activity of the volcano expanded the size of the new island to form a bridge between Hunga Ha’api and Hunga Tonga.
According to the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program, Tonga’s head geologist reported that an eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai began at 0935 on December 20, producing a steam-rich gas-and-ash plume that initially rose to 6 kilometer (19,700 ft) above sea level (a.s.l). The plume continued to ascend to 16 kilometer (52,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted north. The report stated that lightning was present in the plume and about 9 kilotons of sulfur dioxide was detected in satellite data. Residents of Vava'u, 270 km (168 miles) to the northeast, heard a series of explosions at a rate of several times per minute for the first 1-2 hours, after which they became sporadic. Explosions were heard through the night within the first 12 hours of the eruption. Intermittent ash eruptions have continued at the volcano through December 28, according to reports from the Volcano Discovery website.
On December 22, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the continuing eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’api volcano. A light-colored volcanic plume rises from the volcano, obscuring the islands from view, and then drifts northward over the islands of Tofua and Kao. The plume extends almost to Vava’u. The island of Tongatapu, the largest in the nation of Tonga, sits southeast of the active volcano.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 12/21/2021
Resolutions:
1km (65.7 KB), 500m (206.3 KB), 250m (581.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On December 20, 2021, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted, sending a cloud of gas and steam high into the air and bringing a dramatic end to a short period of quiescence. The volcano’s last activity was December 2014-January 2015, when the submarine mount, located between two islands (Hunga Ha’api and Hunga Tonga), sent ash plumes as high as 10 km (6.2 miles) and spilled enough lava to create a new island. Ultimately, the activity of the volcano expanded the size of the new island to form a bridge between Hunga Ha’api and Hunga Tonga.
According to the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program, Tonga’s head geologist reported that an eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai began at 0935 on December 20, producing a steam-rich gas-and-ash plume that initially rose to 6 kilometer (19,700 ft) above sea level (a.s.l). The plume continued to ascend to 16 kilometer (52,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted north. The report stated that lightning was present in the plume and about 9 kilotons of sulfur dioxide was detected in satellite data. Residents of Vava'u, 270 km (168 miles) to the northeast, heard a series of explosions at a rate of several times per minute for the first 1-2 hours, after which they became sporadic. Explosions were heard through the night within the first 12 hours of the eruption. Intermittent ash eruptions have continued at the volcano through December 28, according to reports from the Volcano Discovery website.
On December 22, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the continuing eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’api volcano. A light-colored volcanic plume rises from the volcano, obscuring the islands from view, and then drifts northward over the islands of Tofua and Kao. The plume extends almost to Vava’u. The island of Tongatapu, the largest in the nation of Tonga, sits southeast of the active volcano.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 12/21/2021
Resolutions:
1km (65.7 KB), 500m (206.3 KB), 250m (581.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
