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The powerful eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano rocked the island nation of Tonga on January 15, 2022. The spectacular 13-mile-wide explosion is the largest recorded in the 21st century thus far. It expelled ash and gas plumes as high as 19 miles and triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
One of the most powerful volcanic eruptions blasted such a massive amount of water vapor into the atmosphere that it's likely to temporarily warm the Earth's surface
Tonga eruption blasted enough water to fill 58,000 Olympic pools into the Earth's atmosphere, NASA says
"We've never seen anything like it," said atmospheric scientist Luis Millán, who works at NASA. The vapor sent skyward by the eruption will likely stay in the stratosphere for years.
The violent eruption of Tonga's Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on Jan. 15, 2022, injected an unprecedented amount of water directly into the stratosphere - enough to fill more than 58,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.