Submarine Volcano Erupts Off Tonga

[googlemap lat=”-20.730428476781324″ lng=”-175.27862548828125″ width=”500px” height=”300px” zoom=”8″ type=”G_SATELLITE_MAP”]Tonga[/googlemap]

From the Times Online….

Scientists are on their way to the site of a large undersea volcano that has been erupting for days near Tonga, sending columns of smoke and ash thousands of feet into the sky above the Pacific Ocean. The spectacular plumes are erupting from the ocean about six or seven miles (10 – 12 km) off the coast of the main island of Tongatapu, near the low-lying twin volcanic islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha’apai. The eruption can be seen clearly from the capital, Nuku’alofa, although residents only reported seeing columns of smoke rising from the sea on Wednesday, two days after it is believed to have begun. Locals described it as a cloud of ash visible above the waterfront. Nuku’alofa resident Mary Fonua said the eruption appeared to have increased in size during Wednesday.