TONGA, oh yeah, it was HUGE!

 

On Jan. 15, 2022, a volcano beneath the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai exploded with such force it triggered the most intense lightning storm ever recorded and the first documented mega tsunami since antiquity. The eruption was felt worldwide, but the volcano's underwater setting posed a challenge for scientists trying to understand how such a violent blast occurred.

—Tonga's massive volcanic eruption wiped out unique, never-before-seen life-forms

—Tonga eruption's towering plume was the tallest in recorded history

—Tonga's eruption injected so much water into Earth's atmosphere that it could weaken the ozone layer