Huge underwater volcano explosion leaves giant hole in seabed, new study finds

AN UNDERWATER volcano has left a giant crater in the seabed, according to a new study.

The Tongan volcano erupted earlier this year, producing Earth’s biggest atmospheric explosion in over 100 years.

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According to a BBC report, the crater hole of the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcano is now 2.5miles wide and drops 2,789 feet.

Before the huge explosion, it only dropped 492 feet.

That’s a staggering 2,297 feet difference.

Thankfully, the volcano is not expected to have a similar eruption for over 100 years.

Scientists from New Zealand’s National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research say the eruption moved a large amount of seabed material.

So much material in fact that it would amount to five times the size of the Empire State Building if pushed together.

A total of 3,088 square miles of the seabed is said to have changed.

Prof Shane Cronin from the University of Auckland told the BBC: “If all of Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga, was scraped to sea level, it would fill only two-thirds of the caldera.”

A caldera is the hole that forms after a volcanic eruption.

Researchers decided to map Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai’s so they could make recommendations for future eruptions.

The January 15 eruption was deadly and produced tsunami waves of up to 50 feet.

Homes were completely destroyed and many survivors were left with no access to crucial supplies.