TornadoFan
Member
Just happened tonight. Triggered a major tsunami that hit the main island in Tonga.
So is the equivalent of our EF discussions?
The SO2 is from the previous eruption before the big one.
I thought of the VEI scale during that discussion. The thing to keep in mind is that this is an explosive phase of a longstanding eruption that has been very dynamic, producing pumice rafts, but AFAIK not a lot of volume (something the VEI scale is based on).
And it isn't over yet. The big question is, was this from gas buildup after the conduit was plugged or is the volcano transitioning into a new phase (which would definitely raise the VEI over time).
A few tweets (have been offline since yesterday morning, so this is preliminary):
Alaska and the pressure wave:
Physical changes pre blast:
Tonga tsunami:
Some good news - very little sulfur, given the scale of the explosion. Maybe this is a one-off thing when seawater reached the magma reservoir?
Awesome lightning:
I feel like I’ve heard that story before. Slosh?
Heard that it may have been triggered by the pressure wave.I feel like I’ve heard that story before. Slosh?