Deep in the South Pacific near Tonga, the ocean surface suddenly opened. The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted with extraordinary force, sending a vertical column of ash, steam, and volcanic gases tens of kilometers into the atmosphere. From the air, its core glowing orange as superheated material burst upward, while a shockwave spread outward across the ocean surface. What you’re seeing isn’t just smoke. It’s a rapidly expanding plume where seawater, magma, and gas collided. As magma co

How the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted and why it caused tsunami warnings