Video taken from satellite images revealed a large ball filled with smoke and ash, which was the result of an underwater volcano eruption off Tonga in the South Pacific.
Another satellite image showed what Ha’apai, a nearby uninhabited island, looked like both before and after the eruption — the island seems to have almost disappeared.
The US Geological Survey estimates that the volcano’s eruption caused the equivalent of a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, and the aftermath of the volcano’s eruption led to the areas spanning from New Zealand to Californiaw to issue tsunami warnings.
Because the explosion impacted communication with Tonga residents — estimated at 100,000 people — the extent of the effect it has had on the population is still unknown.