In January 2022, the Hunga volcano's sudden caldera collapse beneath the Pacific sent waves 18 to 40 meters high crashing into Tonga's islands — a catastrophe that conventional seismic instruments were nearly blind to, yet the ocean itself recorded faithfully. Researchers have since shown that underwater acoustic signals, traveling more than seven times faster than the tsunami they preceded, were detectable thousands of kilometers away. The discovery points toward a quiet but profound reorientation in how humanity might listen for danger rising from the seafloor.
Underwater 'booms' could provide early warning of volcanic tsunamis
At least 3 people killed; resorts and villages destroyed across southern and central Tonga by 18-40m tsunami waves.