Home Science Tonga’s massive volcanic eruption wiped out unique, never-before-seen life-forms

Tonga’s massive volcanic eruption wiped out unique, never-before-seen life-forms

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Tonga’s massive volcanic eruption wiped out unique, never-before-seen life-forms

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A zoomed-in view of the eruption, taken by Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite on Jan. 15, 2022, about 100 minutes after the eruption started. (Image credit: Simon Proud / Uni Oxford, RALSpace NCEO / Japan Meteorological Agency)

An island near Tonga that emerged from the ocean in 2015 was teeming with unique life-forms, but the 21st century’s largest volcanic eruption completely obliterated it, a new study has revealed.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai island emerged from the Pacific Ocean due to volcanic (opens in new tab) activity in 2014 and 2015. Its short, seven-year existence gave scientists a rare window to study how life develops on new land masses, until the devastating Tonga eruption in 2022 blasted it away.

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