A volcanic island gets obliterated
This sobering sequence of three images shows the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano on April 10, 2021 before the eruption, on December 24, 2021 after eruptions started up again, and on January 18, 2022, after the big explosion.
Two pre-existing volcanic islands, Hunga Tonga and Hunga-Ha’apai, were joined in 2015 following a series of eruptions. The two islands are once again separated by water but are now even smaller than they were before, as a result of the powerful explosion. Like the tip of an iceberg, these exposed landmasses are the tallest sections of the 1.1-mile-high (1.8-kilometer-high) underwater volcano.
