Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, 2021

The submarine volcano in the Tongan archipelago, 65 km north of the main island of Tongatapu, began erupting on 20 December 2021 after lying dormant since 2014, sending particulates into the stratosphere. Activity escalated on 15 January 2022 into an explosion that blew out 2.3 cubic miles of rock and unleashed a 35-mile-high plume. The resulting tsunami affected Tonga, Fiji, American Samoa, Samoa, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, the Russian Far East, Chile and Peru; reported wave heights around Tonga differ between 2 to 15 m and up to 20 m. At least four people were killed, some were injured and some remained possibly missing in Tonga.

Eruption start

2021-12-20

Eruption end

2022-01-15

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)

5

Volcano

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai

GVP volcano page

volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=243040

Category: Disasters & Incidents

Tags: tonga, submarine volcano, tsunami, stratospheric plume

Coordinates: -20.5532, -175.3841

Part of Volcanic eruptions of VEI 5 and above since 1900

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