By Bella Gamboa
January 31, 2022
Tonga is an island nation East of the coast of Australia that has experienced a tragedy. On Saturday, the 15th of January, one of Tonga 's submarine volcanoes, Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai, erupted in the South Pacific. Submarine volcanoes erupt beneath the ocean’s surface while terrestrial or “regular” volcanoes erupt into air. Submarine volcanoes are rarely explosive; however, experts say that this volcano in Tonga was the biggest explosion registered on any planet in more than 30 years. The eruption was so horrific that it blasted tsunamis into Japan, Hawaii, and Tonga’s biggest island, Tongatapu, causing major floods.The island of Tongatapu is relatively small when compared to other islands; however, when compared to relative human size, it is gigantic.
Tonga has declared itself in a state of emergency. Ashes, gas, and vapor were thrown over 20,000 meters high into the atmosphere, which has affected many outside locations because of the massive quantity of ashes. Tonga is simply buried in ash (pictured in the above photo). There is an excessive amount of volcanic dust all over the surroundings, and they are planning for an intensive cleanup as well as fighting to get the residents clean water, food, and supplies. There were 3 people who died due to the explosion; however, thankfully, the majority of the residents in Tongatapu are safe and healthy and there are many leaders from other countries in the region that are preparing to lend a hand. Many volcanoes and eruptions can cause an offset in the environment, causing negative repercussions. Fortunately, experts say that there is nothing to worry about when concerning this volcano. The photo below indicates the level of heat; dark blue, green, light blue, yellow, orange, red and finally white is the maximum heat recognition.
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