An international team of 40 scientists and technical staff has embarked on a 54-day mission to study the impacts of Tonga's 2022 Hunga Volcano eruption.
The eruption, which produced an ash column reaching 58 km high, triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami, reshaped the seafloor, disrupted fisheries, and damaged undersea cables, cutting communications for thousands in Tonga for months.
The research involves partners from Tonga Geological Services, Fiji, New Zealand, Britain, and the United States. Over 120 scientific operations will be conducted around the submarine volcano, located 65 km northwest of Tonga's main island.
Associate Professor Rebecca Carey of the University of Tasmania, the voyage’s chief scientist, described the eruption site as a "ground zero" for understanding how deep-sea ecosystems recover from major natural disasters. She said the team would map the seafloor and sub-seafloor, extract sediment cores, survey marine life, and analyse environmental DNA from seawater to track recovery processes.
Scientists will also monitor volcanic plumes to detect potential ongoing underwater activity. The findings are expected to strengthen hazard assessments, improve risk models, and guide recovery planning.
The research aims to help Pacific Island nations manage disaster risk, protect fisheries, and safeguard food security, while also informing the installation of undersea communication backups to prepare for future volcanic events.
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