Simon Proud wrote on January 15, 2022.
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If you use radar technology, you can see what's happening at ground level.
It was clear that much of the edifice that stood above the waters of the Pacific Ocean had been destroyed when the EU's Sentinel-1A flew over the volcano late on Saturday.
If you are not used to looking at radar pictures, they can be hard to interpret.
The views of the volcano obtained by the Planet company are familiar. A few hours before the eruption, one of the images was acquired. If you compare it to the above radar data, you'll be able to see the full fury of the blast.
2 hours before the volcanic eruption in Tonga, and a week earlier. A post eruption shot.
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A Planet SkySat image of Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai was taken just two hours before the eruption.
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Will Marshall is on Will4Planet.
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The weather satellite views show the shock that moves out in all directions. The entire globe was covered by this pressure wave. The UK Met Office passed on barometers twice.
Our atmosphere is like dropping a pebble in a pond.
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The UK pressure trace for the past 24 hours shows how our atmosphere continues to see those ripples from the Tonga eruption.
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January 16, 2022.
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The Aeolus mission's data shows another example of the volcano's impact on the atmosphere.
The wind properties are measured from the ground up to a height of 30 km. As Aeolus passed over the Pacific it was blocked by all the material thrown into the sky.
It gave us a good indication of the height of the ash cloud.
The climate can be cooled by the biggest eruptions.
The Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991 dropped the global temperature by half a degree for a couple of years. The main way volcanoes do this is by releasing sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. SO2 and water combine to make a haze of droplets that reflect solar radiation.
The quantity and spread of sulphur dioxide can be mapped by the EU's satellite.
The red line shows the impact of 3 large volcanoes on the global temperature record since 1950.
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The Climate ofGavin is on January 15, 2022.
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The extent of the damage is not known. The flooding that resulted from the waves of ash was a problem for the inhabitants. Satellites are being used to map the many islands in the region, to help direct the emergency response to those places with the most urgent needs.
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