A massive, cataclysmic undersea volcano erupted on January 15th, spraying ash, gas, and steam miles into the atmosphere, and sending tsunami waves throughout the South Pacific, near the nation of Tonga.
Thankfully mass casualties were not reported, but waves and floodwaters were clearly evident. The volcano was also captured by satellite imagery, with incredible images showing the eruption and shockwaves that followed. It was considered the largest eruption ever documented from space.
The effects from what may be the world’s newest landmass are yet to be fully studied, but it’s amazing that the moment was captured so clearly, giving us a sense just how massive this eruption was.