Tonga eruption sets world record for biggest explosion

Tonga’s January volcano eruption has been declared the largest in the world

Tonga’s most recent volcanic eruption in January was the biggest explosion ever recorded in modern history.

New data suggests the natural disaster was far bigger than any previous volcanic events and even any atom bomb test after World War II. 

It’s believed only the Krakatoa eruption of 1883 rivalled the Tonga volcano, the Indonesian explosion that claimed more than 30,000 lives. 

Scientists are now able to access a huge array of ground-based and space-borne instruments, allowing them to monitor the Earth across the entire light spectrum.

The Tonga explosion produced a number of atmospheric pressure waves felt in many parts of the world, even as far as Alaska.