Satellite images of the January 15, 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai
This is a list of volcanic eruptions in the 21st century with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 4 or higher, and smaller eruptions that resulted in fatalities, significant damage or disruptions.
Thousands of homes were destroyed.[3] Volcanic ash was reported as far away as Manado and several areas in Gorontalo. Airlines from West Malaysia and Singapore cancelled flights to Sabah and Sarawak on 18 April due to reduced visibility.[4][5] The eruption also prompted the shutdown of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in North Sulawesi.[6] All 843 residents of Ruang island were evacuated to Manado, while 12,000 residents of Tagulandang were relocated to Siau Island by ship.[7] On 17 and 30 April, authorities raised the volcano's alert level to four, the highest in Indonesia and issued a tsunami alert which led to orders for 11,000 residents and evacuees in Tagulandang to be moved to Manado in mainland Sulawesi, citing the risk of the volcano collapsing into the sea.[8]
An eruption on April 11 ejected a cloud of volcanic gas and ash that reached a height of 20km (12mi) and spread over an area of 108,000km2 (42,000sqmi).[10]Pyroclastic flows from the eruption traveled up to 19km (12mi) away from the volcano.[11]
An eruption on May 28 sent ash to an altitude of 15km, causing some disruptions to flights in the North Pacific, including an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Tokyo that diverted back to Los Angeles midway across the Pacific, landing after approximately 12 hours in the air.[citation needed]
The explosive submarine eruption began on December 20, 2021, with the largest explosion occurring on January 15, 2022. Satellite measurements recorded an eruption column of at least 30,000m (98,000ft) into the atmosphere.[17] The explosion was hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima,[18] and was heard as far as Fairbanks, Alaska, nearly 10,000km away. Fluctuations in air pressure were recorded all over the world as the pressure wave fully circled the world several times. Two people were killed in Peru by a 2-metre tsunami wave. A British woman was found to have been killed by the tsunami in Tonga.[19]
An eruption began on December 4, and ejected a cloud of volcanic ash 12,000m (40,000ft) into the air, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 100 others.
On 26 June Ulawun erupted, sending an ash plume to at least 19,000m (63,000ft).[29] Other large eruptions occurred on 2 August, also sending ash to 19,000m (63,000ft).[30]
First eruption since 1924. At approximately 4 am, 22 June it erupted, with a plume of ash and gas reaching between 13,000m (43,000ft) and 17,000m (56,000ft), passing the tropopause and allowing stratospheric injection of ash and sulfur dioxide.[32]
Ash was ejected to an altitude exceeding 26km. 7 people were killed and at least 100,000 people were evacuated. At least one commercial aircraft flew into the plume, later landing safely but incurring costly engine damage.[44]
Mount Sinabung's eruptions caused many pyroclastic flows, one resulting in the loss of 16 lives.[46] An eruption on May 22, 2016, resulted in the loss of 7 lives.[47]
The 2011–2012 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption began on June 4, 2011, causing major flight disruptions across the southern hemisphere, including South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
A series of eruptions between March and June caused the worst flight disruption over Europe since the Second World War.[58] Over an eight-day period, an estimated 107,000 flights, representing 48% of total air traffic and 10 million passengers, were canceled.[59] According to the IATA, The total loss to the airline industry was around $1.7 billion.[60]
The town of Chaitén, located about 10 km southwest of the eruption site, was blanketed with ash. About 4,000 people who lived there were evacuated by boat. One elderly person died during the evacuation efforts. On May 6, the eruption became more forceful and generated a wider and darker gray ash plume to an estimated altitude of 30,000m (98,400ft) into the stratosphere. All remaining people in Chaitén were ordered to evacuate, as well as anyone within 50km of the volcano.
On 4 November 2024, the volcano spewed molten debris at several villages some 4km (2.5mi) away, destroying homes and killing at least nine.[74] The Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recommended that a 7km (4.3mi) radius around the volcano be evacuated.[75] Seven villages were affected by the eruption.[76] A larger eruption occurred on 7 November.[77] On 8 November, the volcano erupted several times, one bearing an ash plume with a height reaching 10 km (6.2 mi).[78] On 9 November, it erupted again, scrambling authorities to evacuate approximately 16,000 people from nearby villages.[79]
On 9 December a phreatic eruption launched rock and ash into the air, killing 22 of the 47 people on the island, including two who are missing and declared dead. A further twenty-five people suffered injuries, including severe burns.
A hiker was killed and several others were injured after the volcano's strongest eruption since 2002. The Italian Navy was deployed and evacuated dozens of the island's residents.[86]
During a series of eruptions, volcanic ash blackened the sky, buried crops and destroyed homes. Over the course of the year, the island's 11,000 population was forced to evacuate several times.[92]
A phreatic eruption and pyroclastic flow occurred without warning, killing 63 people. Deadliest eruption in Japan since 1902, first volcano-related deaths in Japan since 1991.
On May 27, at approximately 20:00 hours there was a strong eruption ejecting debris and ash columns up to 1,500 metres (4,900ft) followed by several tremors. Ash rained down in many cities to the northwest of the volcano, including Guatemala City.[104] The volcanic ash fall pelted the capital and La Aurora International Airport. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) declared a red alert for the communities near the volcano and recommended the evacuation of some of them. Noti7 reporter Anibal Archila, one of the first to cover the event, was reportedly killed by volcanic debris.[105]
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