In January 2022, a powerful underwater eruption from the Hunga volcano near Tonga shocked the world, sending ash over 30 miles into the air and creating a plume spanning hundreds of miles. This colossal event triggered a global shockwave and a tsunami that reached coastlines across the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Antarctica. The underwater aftermath, discovered by scientists and published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment, revealed a five-foot-thick ash layer on the ocean floor, wiping out endangered species like mussels and snails.
This rare observation of ash deposition provides crucial insights into the potential consequences of deep-sea mining. The eruption’s impact, which killed marine life by burying or drastically altering their environment, may foreshadow the destruction that deep-sea mining could unleash. Surprisingly, some species, like crabs, survived the fallout, challenging previous assumptions about their vulnerability. Researchers also documented the first-ever larvae of Alviniconcha snails, highlighting the profound impact of such underwater events.