It’s been just over three years since a massive volcanic explosion rocked the Pacific island of Tonga. The eruption created a huge plume of ash and water that stretched more than halfway to space.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted underwater on Jan. 15, 2022.
It was the highest-recorded volcanic plume and reached the mesosphere — about 31 to 50 miles above the Earth's surface. That's where meteors usually break apart and burn up in our atmosphere.
The volcanic plume reached an altitude of just over 35 miles at its highest point. It exceeded the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines, which reached about 25 miles.
Six people died as a result of the eruption in Tonga. The damage was relatively low due to its remote location, although it did destroy a small uninhabited island.
The eruption also triggered a tsunami as well as shock waves that rippled around the world.
Scientists used images captured by satellites passing over the eruption site to confirm the plume's height.
Information from the volcano's eruption is helping researchers in tracking the impact on the global climate.
