Issues

This red-filter image of the eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai was taken by the Himawari 8 satellite on 15 January 2022 at 4:40 UT (17:50 local time). The multi-phased eruption triggered a tsunami, measuring 1.2 m at Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga, that traversed the Pacific Ocean and affected multiple countries. A shockwave from the eruption was heard more than 10000 km away in Alaska and northern Canada. This issue’s Focus Section on the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption is multidisciplinary in nature, with papers analyzing signals traveling through the Earth, atmosphere and oceans. As a curiosity, in the southwest portion of the image, the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Cody can be seen.

Image credit: Japan Meteorological Agency/NASA SPoRT