The next day, 15 January, an even larger eruption generated a plume that reached at least 20 km altitude, caused a tsunami across the Pacific Ocean, and triggered shock waves through the atmosphere only small remnant of the islands remained visible above the ocean surface. Major Surtseyan explosions and eruption plumes were detected beginning in late December 2021, which initially reshaped the central part of the combined island (BGVN 47:02) before stronger activity on 14 January 2022 removed most of the 2014-2015 material. During December 2014 through January 2015 eruptive activity added land between the islands, creating the merged Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai island (BGVN 40:01). In 2009 a short eruption increased the land area at Hunga Ha’apai around this time the two islands were each about 2 km long (BGVN 34:03). The first recorded eruption at this site occurred in 1912, followed by an eruption in 1937, and then S of the islands in 1988. New Zealand lies 2,000 km S, and Australia is over 3,000 km SW. The capital city of Tonga, Nuku’alofa, is located 65 km S on the island of Tongatapu. The Tonga-Kermadec arc formed as a result of subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Indo-Australian Plate. It is one of 12 confirmed submarine volcanoes along the Tofua Arc, a segment of the larger Tonga-Kermadec volcanic arc. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano includes the small islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha’apai along with shallow reefs along the caldera rim of a much larger submarine edifice in the western South Pacific Ocean (see figure 25 BGVN 47:02), west of the main inhabited islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. Surtseyan explosions with eruption plumes during 14-15 January 2022
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