Executive summary:On the 14th and 15th, the submarine volcano of Hongahaapai Island in the South Pacific island country Tonga erupted violently for two consecutive days, and a 1.2-meter-high tsunami occurred in the capital Nuku’alofa. Satellite imagery showed large swathes of ash and gas rising from the blue Pacific Ocean like a mushroom cloud. Due to the interference of the communication network and the inability to communicate with the outside world, no reports of casualties and property damage have been received in the country.
On the 14th and 15th, the submarine volcano of Hongahaapai Island in the South Pacific island country Tonga erupted violently for two consecutive days, and a 1.2-meter-high tsunami occurred in the capital Nuku’alofa. Satellite imagery showed large swathes of ash and gas rising from the blue Pacific Ocean like a mushroom cloud. Due to the interference of the communication network and the inability to communicate with the outside world, no reports of casualties and property damage have been received in the country.
Experts predict the eruption could last for weeks or months, and remind Tongans that they must remain vigilant.
Tonga volcano eruption triggers local tsunami
Japan and the United States are waiting
Satellite photos show that after the volcanic eruption, volcanic ash, steam, etc. rose above the local Pacific Ocean, and the huge sound can be heard as far away as Alaska, USA.
The tsunami was soon observed in Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga. The Tonga Meteorological Service said the whole of Tonga is under threat of tsunamis, heavy rain, flooding and strong winds.
Videos on social media showed large waves surging into residential homes. A Tongan citizen described, “Our home was shaking, and then the waves came. My brother thought a bomb exploded nearby.”
The eruption also had a major impact on the Pacific region. Tsunami warnings were issued for Fiji and Samoa in the neighboring countries of Tonga. New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency issued a warning on the 15th that the northern and eastern coastal areas may be hit by huge waves, and the country’s military is on standby at any time.
Tsunami was observed in many places such as Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and tsunami warnings were issued continuously in the early morning of the 16th. Tsunami warnings have also been issued on the west coast of the United States and the state of Hawaii and British Columbia, Canada.
According to the latest monitoring results by the Tsunami Warning Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, a tsunami wave was detected in the coastal waters of China in the early morning of the 16th. Among them, the largest tsunami wave at the Shipu Station in Zhejiang was about 20 cm, and the tsunami wave at the other tidal stations were all less than 15 cm. The process did not cause catastrophic impact on China’s coast.
Due to the severe interference to Tonga’s communication network, no reports of casualties and property damage have been received so far.
Volcanic eruption or will it continue?
Experts warn Tonga to remain vigilant
It is reported that Tonga has a population of about 104,000. The country consists of the three major archipelagos of Tongatapu, Vava’u and Hapai, as well as small islands such as Ewa and Niua. There are a total of 173 islands, of which 36 are inhabited.
Hung Aha Apai is part of the highly active Tonga-Kermadec volcanic arc. While the capital of Tonga is located 65km south of the eruption, many places are said to have been covered in ash.
University of Auckland volcanologist Shane Cronin said the eruption was one of Tonga’s largest in the past 30 years. “There is a wide range of lateral spread and a lot of ashes are produced.”
Cronin also said that studies of historical eruptions from the same volcano suggest that the current eruption event could last for weeks or months.
He also cautioned that the people of Tonga must remain vigilant for further eruptions, “especially tsunamis that occur in a short period of time, and should avoid low-lying areas.”
Original title: Undersea volcano eruption, Tonga lost contact! Tsunami warnings issued by many countries…
