Tonga Volcano Blast Was Unusual, Could Even Warm the Earth

In this photo provided by New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupts near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean on Jan. 14, 2015. The volcano shot millions of tons of water vapor high up into the atmosphere according to a study published Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in the journal Science. Researchers estimate the event raised the amount of water in the stratosphere - the second layer of the atmosphere, above the range where humans live and breathe - by around 5%. (AP Photo/New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

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By Associated Press

September 22, 2022 at 6:04 PM UTC

Updated on

September 24, 2022 at 8:54 AM UTC

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New York (AP) -- When an undersea volcano erupted in Tonga in January, its watery blast was huge and unusual — and scientists are still trying to understand its impacts.

The volcano, known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, shot millions of tons of water vapor high up into the atmosphere, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.