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Volcano 02 / 10

Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai

A mostly submarine caldera whose 2022 eruption sent pressure waves around the planet.

20.540°S175.380°W
Form
Caldera
Elevation
114 m
Last known eruption
2022
GVP number
243040

The small islands visible before 2022 were fragments of a much larger submarine volcanic system. Its eruption demonstrated how atmosphere, ocean, and volcano can couple at global scale.

Tectonic setting

Tonga–Kermadec arc, west of one of Earth’s deepest and fastest subduction zones.

Membership note

Included in the Smithsonian PROF regional definition.

15 January climax

Explosive eruption, atmospheric waves, and a destructive trans-oceanic tsunami.

day precision

This is a curated profile excerpt, not the complete eruption catalog. Historical year, month, and day fields remain nullable in the analytical database.

Claim-level values in this profile resolve to the source below. Dataset membership and narrative interpretation are stored separately.

Fixture version5.3.6 fixtureConfidenceauthoritativeFixture refreshedJuly 15, 2026