Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption and shockwave

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In 2015, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted.

This resulted in the creation of a new island. A great deal of the volcano lies underwater.

Over the weekend, an eruption of the volcano generated a Tsunami which spread out from the location and headed towards Tonga, Australia, New Zealand and Japan and other Pacific coasts.

The shock wave travelled around the world and was even recorded on weather stations around the world as well - several times in fact, as it travelled around the world in all directions like ripples from a stone dropped in a lake.

Tonga was particularly badly affected by a tsunami followed by an ash fall (although communication is difficult currently and the true scale of the disaster is still to be known. 

A National Geographic explainer here.

Australia and New Zealand have sent reconaissance flights. The Red Cross and other aid agencies are standing by to help.


International communication has been severely hampered by damage to an undersea cable, which could take more than a week to restore, and Australia and New Zealand were assisting with satellite calls, he said.

Telephone networks in Tonga have been restored but ash was posing a major health concern, contaminating drinking water.

The longer the delay in finding out any news the more the worries grow for those with friends and family in the area, and fears for those who live there, or were holidaying there. 

Satellite images are being captured, but there are still issues with communications, including internet.

If you would like to help, there is a fund raising appeal here. 

It is being organised by Pita Taufatofua.


As with all events of this nature, be aware of the potential distress it may cause when discussing with students, and be mindful of the real people behind the statistics (as also discussed by Catherine Owen in a recent blogpost).

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