The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption, which produced the most powerful atmospheric explosion ever recorded, also generated a record number of lightning strikes in a supercharged thunderstorm that lasted 11 hours and spread across 150 miles (240), a new study reports.
The volcano, which is located in the southern Pacific Ocean, began erupting in December 2021, but its most explosive event did not occur until Jan. 15, 2022. Despite the volcano's caldera being 500 feet (150 meters) below sea level, the blast burst through the water and sent a plume of ash towering 36 miles (58 km) high, with an eruption rate of 11 billion pounds (5 billion kilograms) per second — an order of magnitude greater than the Mount St. Helens eruption in May 1980.
