In an unprecedented volcanic eruption, the Hunga volcano unleashed an incredible display of electrical activity, surpassing the power of an atomic bomb.
On January 15, 2022, the underwater caldera near Tonga experienced a dramatic escalation, spewing 2.3 cubic miles of molten rock and vaporizing 146 teragrams of water.
The resulting plume reached a height of 36 miles, resembling a colossal mushroom cloud. This eruption set a new record for volcanic lightning, with an astonishing 2,600 lightning strikes per minute, exceeding any previous event in scientific history.
The eruption’s intensity and the formation of a 280-kilometer-diameter donut of electrical discharges astounded researchers, who traced the phenomenon to plume particles riding a volcanic “gravity wave.”
Edited by Damilola Adeleke
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