The Kingdom of Tonga in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and Fiji, is made up of around 170 islands. On January 15, 2022, several islands were impacted by the massive eruption of an undersea volcano. The effects this volcano had on the islands as well as on the people of Tonga are Worth Noting.

Links:

“Tonga undersea volcano eruption released up to 18 megatons of energy” (Space.com, Jan. 26, 2022)

“Tonga Needs Rain and More Brooms After Volcano Eruption Spewed Ash” (The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 26, 2022)

Sources consulted:

“Dramatic Changes at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai“ (Earth Observatory, Apr. 10, 2022)

“NASA researchers have an estimate of the power of a massive volcanic eruption that took place on Saturday near the island nation of Tonga.⁠” (@NPR, Instagram, Jan. 19, 2022) 

“Tonga” (Britannica, accessed Jan. 21, 2022)“Before & after images reveal impact of undersea volcano eruption and tsunami in Tonga” (USA Today, Jan. 22, 2022)

“NASA Says Tonga Eruption Was More Powerful Than an Atomic Bomb” (Smithsonian Magazine, Jan. 25, 2022)

“Satellite images show the aftermath of Tonga volcano's eruption” (NPR, Jan. 26, 2022)