https://www.scmp.com/rss/503059/feed Shane Cronin is Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Auckland. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Kingdom of Tonga doesn’t often attract global attention, but a violent eruption of an underwater volcano on January 15 has spread shock waves, quite literally, around half the world. The volcano is usually not much to look at. It consists of two small uninhabited islands, Hunga-Tonga and Hunga-Ha’apai, poking about 100m above sea level, 65km north of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa. But hiding below the waves is a massive volcano, around 1800m high and 20km wide. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apaii... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3163749/why-tongas-volcanic-eruption-was-so-violent-and-what-expect-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3163749/why-tongas-volcanic-eruption-was-so-violent-and-what-expect-next?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jan 2022 22:00:22 +0000 Five people have been confirmed dead, 31 remain in hospital with injuries and eight are still missing after sudden volcanic eruptions on Whakaari/White Island off the east coast of New Zealand. The island is a tourist destination and 47 people were on it when it erupted on Monday afternoon. Three of those rescued have now been discharged from hospital. Vulcanologists at GeoNet, which operates a geological hazard monitoring system, described the eruption as impulsive and short-lived, with an ash... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3041387/new-zealand-volcano-why-white-island-erupted-no-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3041387/new-zealand-volcano-why-white-island-erupted-no-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2019 05:30:05 +0000