Tonga Eruption Was 500 Times Stronger Than an Atomic Bomb

The small island nation of Tonga lost one of its smaller islands after a volcanic eruption tore the landmass to shreds over the weekend.

The force of the explosion was more powerful than the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II, according to NPR.

James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told NPR that they came up with a number that was ten megaton equivalent.

That means it was very loud.

The eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau in 1886 might be the loudest eruption since, according to the US Geological Survey.

Cut off.

The blast has left a lot of damage. The nation is cut off from the world because of the event. The airport is covered in ash, preventing planes from touching down.

All homes were destroyed on one island.

The island that was almost completely destroyed by the event was formed out of a platform that rose out of the sea around six years ago, connecting two older islands on either side, according to NPR.

The eruption lasted for less than an hour, unlike large eruptions.

There are many questions.

Poland told NPR that it had an outsized impact, well beyond the area that would have been expected.

He said that it was a head-scratcher.

NASA scientists estimate the blast at 10 megatons.

Satellite images show the island where the volcano exploded.

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