Looking back at the eruption that shook the world
Written by Copernical Team Monday, 16 January 2023 09:05![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2023/01/hunga_tonga_hunga_ha_apai_eruption/24676536-1-eng-GB/Hunga_Tonga_Hunga_Ha_apai_eruption_card_full.png)
One year ago, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted, causing widespread destruction to the Pacific Island Nation of Tonga, spewing volcanic material up to 58 km into the atmosphere. It brought a nearly 15 m tsunami that crashed ashore, destroying villages, and creating a sonic boom that rippled around the world – twice.
Satellites orbiting Earth scrambled to capture images and data of the aftermath of the disaster. Almost a year later, you can now listen to a sonification of the largest eruption of the 21st Century, created using wind data from ESA’s Aeolus mission.