NOVA PBS Official (May 10, 2023) – In January 2022, one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history rocked the Pacific islands of Tonga, sending shockwaves around the world.

Video timeline: 00:00 Introduction 01:47 The Day of the Eruption in Tonga: Firsthand Accounts 08:44 Geologists Study the Volcano to Determine the Cause of the Eruption 20:49 Understanding the Unpredictability of Submarine Volcanoes. 27:00 The Tsunami Caused by the Eruption in Tonga 41:55 Studying Tofua: The Volcanic Twin of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai 50:10 How Communities Can Prepare for Future Eruptions and Tsunami

Through first-person accounts of the disaster and eyewitness footage, experience the terrifying power of the eruption and the devastating tsunami that struck the shores of Tonga. Why was this eruption so big, how did it cause the tsunami, and could another disaster loom?