[imagesource: CIRA / NOAA / Handout via Reuters]

With drones, smartphones, and advancements in technology, we are seeing footage of natural disasters that we never thought previously possible.

A drone flying into an erupting volcano – sure, why not?

The eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai, a volcano about 65 kilometres north of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, has also led to some incredible footage.

The underwater volcano erupted in 2009 and in late 2014, with renewed eruptions starting again from December 21 of last year.

On Saturday (January 15), reports The Washington Post, a particularly explosive eruption occurred which resulted in “arguably the most remarkable and striking display of volcanic power captured by a weather satellite”.

Observe:

Hunga #Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai #eruption at 04:00 UTC on Jan 15.
images courtesy #Himawari8 pic.twitter.com/Zk8uepybuX

— Seán Doran (@_TheSeaning) January 15, 2022

Tonga’s Hunga Tonga volcano just had one of the most violent volcano eruptions ever captured on satellite. pic.twitter.com/M2D2j52gNn

— US StormWatch (@US_Stormwatch) January 15, 2022

The violent eruption a few hours ago of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano captured by satellites GOES-West and Himawari-8. pic.twitter.com/PzV5v9apF6

— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) January 15, 2022

Our amazing Earth – today’s eruption of of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano, from space. The shockwave through our atmosphere amazes me.
(from https://t.co/zPzA8IWzjg) pic.twitter.com/FecfomIhnO

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) January 15, 2022

More from The Post:

The plume towered to about 100,000 feet, roughly three times the altitude at which commercial aircraft fly. Thunderstorms flatten out at the tropopause, or top of the troposphere, the lowest level of Earth’s atmosphere, since a lid of warm air suppresses continued upward development.

Hunga Tonga’s plume, however, was so buoyant that it was able to penetrate this layer and continue into the stratosphere…

Satellite imagery captured “gravity waves” rippling outward from where the plume punctured this ceiling-like layer in the lower atmosphere — like wavelets surrounding a stone tossed in a pond.

You can see that here:

Absolutely mesmerizing view of “gravity waves” propagating along the “tropopause,” or effective ceiling of the lower atmosphere, following the eruption of #HungaTonga this morning.

The waves result from the plume’s buoyancy bumping against the tropopause and causing ripples. pic.twitter.com/Tz5uyyhQqe

— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) January 15, 2022

1-min CG lightning plot of #Tonga eruption pic.twitter.com/Dt0exOhvG7

— William Churchill (@ChurchillWx) January 15, 2022

Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, has suffered “significant” damage and the effects of the eruption are being felt globally.

How about this sonic boom?

🚨#BREAKING: New Footage shows a Extremely powerful Sonic Boom from the volcano

📌#Tonga l #islands

Incredible Footage of Hunga Tonga volcano that Produced a Extremely large eruption as it generated powerful Sonic booms that Traveled as far as 470 miles of the fiji islands pic.twitter.com/irMDMesz5Z

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 15, 2022

Audible booms could be heard at the National Weather Service in Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, meaning that the sound carried more than 8 000 kilometres.

First comes the eruption and then the tsunamis.

Santa Cruz in California was hit by flooding due to a tidal surge generated by the tsunami, Peru closed a number of ports, and waves hit Japan’s Pacific Coast.

The situation was dire in Tonga:

Tsunami videos out of Tonga 🇹🇴 this afternoon following the Volcano Eruption. pic.twitter.com/JTIcEdbpGe

— Jese Tuisinu (@JTuisinu) January 15, 2022

This family were in church. They’d just finish having choir practice and the tsunami hit 😩❤️🇹🇴 #Tsunami #Tonga #Oceania pic.twitter.com/j1poqeJ5Td

— Journalist Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) January 15, 2022

The Tongan death toll is unknown, with two confirmed deaths in Peru due to abnormally big waves.

[source:washpost]