Tonga’s volcano eruption and tsunami explained in maps and charts

There are some 1,350 potentially active volcanoes around the world, many located around the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’. The South Pacific nation of Tonga is still cut off from the world two days after an underwater volcano erupted – triggering tsunami alerts across the Pacific. Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai On January 15, the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano, about 70km northwest of the nation’s capital, Nuku’alofa, sent plumes of smoke 20km into the air and caused significant damage. Volcano tsunami warnings A 1.2-metre wave swept ashore in the Tongan capital, with locals reporting fleeing to higher ground, leaving behind flooded houses, some with structural damage, as rubble and ash fell from the sky.