What caused the 2022 Tonga volcanic tsunami?

Volcanic activity can generate massive tsunamis through powerful underwater explosions and the displacement of rock and sediment. The 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai in the southern Pacific Ocean produced devastating tsunami waves that impacted multiple countries across the globe. This event demonstrated how submarine volcanic explosions can displace huge volumes of water and trigger far-reaching oceanic hazards.

What we know

• The 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai displaced 10 cubic kilometres of rock, ash, and sediment, generating a volcanic tsunami that affected numerous countries. [2]
• The submarine eruption produced tsunami waves reaching up to 20 metres high in Tonga and run-up heights up to 45 metres on the uninhabited island of Tofua. [2]
• Tsunami waves from the Tonga eruption also traveled far across the ocean, causing two deaths in Peru after 2-metre waves struck the coast. [2]
• Tsunamis can similarly be generated in inland bodies of water like lakes through sudden disturbances such as volcanic activity, landslides, or earthquakes. [3]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do submarine volcanic explosions trigger tsunamis?
• what followedWhat were the global impacts of the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption?
• compared withHow did the 1883 Krakatoa eruption compare in scale and destruction?
• the bigger pictureWhat are tsunamis in lakes and how do they form?
• a case in pointWhich other volcanic eruptions caused major tsunamis in the 21st century?
• an unexpected connectionHow far can a volcanic atmospheric pressure wave travel?The 1883 Krakatoa eruption produced an acoustic pressure wave that circled the globe more than three times, showing parallels to the massive atmospheric disturbances recorded during modern volcanic events.

Sources

• [1]2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami (Wikidata Q110567218) · CC0 1.0
• [2]2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Tsunamis in lakes · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]List of volcanic eruptions in the 21st century · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]1883 eruption of Krakatoa · CC BY-SA 4.0