2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption

Volcanic eruption creating a new land linking Hunga Tonga and Hunga Haʻapai islands February 2022 2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption Hungatonga aster 20090326.jpg False-color satellite image taken 25 March 2009, showing new land south of Hunga Haapai. Clouds cover the space between the new land and Hunga Haapai. The vent is the nearly perfect circular hole near the southern edge of the new land. 16 March 2009Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai: Eruptive History 243040 Eruptions 2 February 2022The date the eruption began is uncertain. According to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism program, "Observers flying near the area of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai (about 62 km NNW of Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga) on 16 or 17 March reported seeing an eruption."SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 11–17 March 2009 Smithsonian Institution / USGS http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20090311 https://web.archive.org/web/20090413174241/http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20090311 13 April 2009 The report cites Keizo Gates' web log, dated 16 March 2009, which contains photos allegedly taken from civilian aircraft late on the afternoon of March 16.Gates Keizo 16 March 2009 New Tonga eruption Kzo.net http://kzo.net/log/new-tonga-eruption https://web.archive.org/web/20160422024208/http://kzo.net/log/new-tonga-eruption 22 April 2016 The Smithsonian subsequently confirmed that the eruption began on 16 March.SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 18–24 March 2009 Smithsonian Institution / USGS http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/#hunga https://web.archive.org/web/20210302190020/https://volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/#hunga 2 March 2021 22 March 2009 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai Submarine, Surtseyan Tonga title,inline 20.57 S 175.38 W 2 The 2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption began on 16 March 2009,The date the eruption began was initially uncertain. According to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism program, "Observers flying near the area of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (about 62 km NNW of Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga) on 16 or 17 March reported seeing an eruption." See: SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report. 11 March-17 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090413174241/http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20090311 13 April 2009 The report cites Keizo Gates' Web log, dated 16 March 2009, which contains photos allegedly taken from civilian aircraft late on the afternoon of 16 March. See: Gates, Keizo. "New Tonga Eruption" Kzo.net. March 16, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20160422024208/http://kzo.net/log/new-tonga-eruption 22 April 2016 The Smithsonian subsequently confirmed that the eruption began on 16 March. See: SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report. 18 March-24 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090425212827/http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20090318 25 April 2009 near the island of Hunga Tonga, approximately 62 km mi from the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa.Major quake strikes off Tonga CNN 19 March 2008 http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/tonga.quake/index.html 19 March 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090322104332/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/tonga.quake/index.html 22 March 2009 live The volcano is in a highly active volcanic region that represents a portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is estimated that there are up to 36 undersea volcanoes clustered together in the area.Undersea Volcano Erupts Off Tonga Coast Fox News 18 March 2009 https://www.foxnews.com/story/undersea-volcano-erupts-off-tonga-coast 20 March 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090806054756/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509617,00.html 6 August 2009 live Eruption history The initial 16–17 March eruption created an ejecta column (tephra) which sent ash and smoke up to 20 km mi into the atmosphere and an initial inspection reported that the volcano had breached the ocean surface.Underwater volcano sends huge columns of ash into Pacific sky The Times 20 March 2009 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5936330.ece 20 March 2009 London Anne Barrowclough 16 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220116151557/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ dead Authorities suggested at that time that the eruption did not yet pose any threat to the capital's population, and an inspection team was sent out to evaluate the volcano.Tongan inspection team heads to undersea volcano Yahoo News 19 March 2009 https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_sc/as_tonga_volcano 20 March 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090322120532/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_sc/as_tonga_volcano 22 March 2009 dead Between 18 and 20 March, a number of Surtseyan eruptions sent ash plumes as high as 4 km mi to 5.2 km mi into the atmosphere, with prevailing winds pushing the ash cloud about 480 km mi east-northeast of the eruption site and widespread and significant haze reported at Vavau 255 km mi away.http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/#hunga SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report. 18 March-24 March 2009. 23 March 2009 2 March 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210302190020/https://volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/#hunga live Steam plumes on 20 March were measured at 1.8 km mi above sea level. But on 21 March, an eruption sent steam and ash just 0.8 km mi into the sky. On 21 March, Tonga's chief geologist Kelepi Mafi reported lava and ash from two vents, one on the uninhabited island Hunga Haapai and another about 100 m ft on offshore, had filled the gap between the two vents, creating new land surface that measured hundreds of square metres.Percival, Jenny. "Underwater Volcano Creates New Island Off Tonga." https://web.archive.org/web/20161208000916/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/21/tonga-volcano-island-nuku-alofa 8 December 2016 The Guardian. 21 March 2009."'No Living Thing Left' As Tonga Volcano Erupts." https://web.archive.org/web/20120706015627/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j6VD1Pdx9mNNXjovtdfyKtB2WXVQ 6 July 2012 Agence France-Presse. 20 March 2009. The eruption devastated Hunga Haapai, covering it in black ash and stripping it of vegetation and fauna. Disruptions Two Air New Zealand airline flights into Tonga were delayed due to safety concerns caused by the volcanic ash, but flight schedules returned to normal shortly thereafter."Night Flights Postponed As Volcanic Activity Continues." Matangi Tonga. March 23, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110527150203/http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/tourism.travel/tonga_flights_eruption_230309.shtml 27 May 2011 ; "Flights Back to Normal But Tongan Volcanoes Still Erupting." Radio New Zealand International. March 24, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20120404190030/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=45514 4 April 2012 Tongan officials also expressed concern that the eruption could significantly harm the country's fishing industry."Tonga Examines Volcano's Fishing Impact." Radio Australia News. March 23, 2009. 2009 Tonga earthquake Four days after the start of the eruption a strong earthquake measuring 7.6 w y ISC also struck the region. Ken Hudnut, a geophysicist for the United States Geological Survey, stated that "The association with the volcanic activity seems to be an interesting added dimension to this. It's not clear at this point that there is a direct association, but it seems suggestive at this point.". Keleti Mafi, the Tongan government's chief seismologist, also suggested that the earthquake was likely to have a direct impact on the volcanic eruption, stating that the "strength of the earthquake could crack the volcano's (undersea) vent and allow more magma to be ejected".Strong quake near Tonga prompts tsunami warning Yahoo News 20 March 2009 https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_re_au_an/as_tonga_earthquake 21 March 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090323225841/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_re_au_an/as_tonga_earthquake 23 March 2009 dead See also Oceania Volcanoes 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami Tonga Trench – deepest trench in the Southern hemisphere where the Pacific plate is being subducted westward Notes References External links Footage of the eruption, BBC website http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/undersea_eruptions_near_tonga.html The Big Picture – Undersea eruptions near Tonga The Boston Globe 19 March 2009 22 March 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090322074337/http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/undersea_eruptions_near_tonga.html 22 March 2009 dead Category:Submarine eruptions Category:Surtseyan eruptions Volcano Category:Volcanic eruptions in Oceania Category:Volcanism of the Pacific Ocean Category:2009 natural disasters Tonga undersea volcanic eruption Category:March 2009 in Oceania Category:VEI-2 eruptions Category:2009 disasters in Oceania Category:Natural disasters in Tonga