Guest Post by Martin Armstrong
The explosive eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano was massive. It would have covered much of California engulfing from San Francisco down to Los Angeles. They are still trying to figure out how big this event was yet it was certainly one of the largest to have taken place in modern times. The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is measured from 1 to 8. Pinatubo, which is considered similar to the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai eruption, scored a 6 on the index. However, Pinatubo produced an eruption column of gas and ash that rose 40 km into the atmosphere, whereas this Tongan eruption was at least 20 km high.
Continue reading “The Tonga eruption & Volcanic Winter?”
