2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption

2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption
False-color satellite image taken 25 March 2009, showing new land south of Hunga Haʻapai. Clouds cover the space between the new land and Hunga Haʻapai. The vent is the nearly perfect circular hole near the southern edge of the new land.
VolcanoHunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai
Start date16 March 2009[1][a]
End date22 March 2009[1]
TypeSubmarine, Surtseyan
LocationTonga
20°34′S 175°23′W / 20.57°S 175.38°W / -20.57; -175.38
VEI2 [1]

The 2009 Tonga undersea volcanic eruption began on 16 March 2009,[5] near the island of Hunga Tonga, approximately 62 kilometres (39 mi) from the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa.[6] 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.[7]

  1. ^ a b c "Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai: Eruptive History". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  2. ^ SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 11–17 March 2009 (Report). Smithsonian Institution / USGS. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009.
  3. ^ Gates, Keizo (16 March 2009). "New Tonga eruption". Kzo.net. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016.
  4. ^ SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 18–24 March 2009 (Report). Smithsonian Institution / USGS. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021.
  5. ^ 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. Archived 13 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine 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. Archived 22 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Smithsonian subsequently confirmed that the eruption began on 16 March. See: SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report. 18 March-24 March 2009. Archived 25 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Major quake strikes off Tonga". CNN. 19 March 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  7. ^ "Undersea Volcano Erupts Off Tonga Coast". Fox News. 18 March 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).