NZ professor snorkels over Tonga volcano

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NZ professor snorkels over Tonga volcano





What an experience! New Zealand Prof Shane Cronin has just returned from snorkelling over the Tonga underwater volcano that blew its top in January.

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He wanted to get a closer look at Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai (HTHH), and to gather some rock samples.

The seamount produced one of the fiercest volcanic explosions in more than a century on 15 January.

It sent a plume of ash and vapour halfway to space and generated a tsunami that swept across the Pacific.

The event touched literally every corner of the globe as atmospheric waves spread out in all directions to complete a full circumnavigation.

Activity at the volcano has now abated, which allowed the University of Auckland scientist to get in close on a small boat with Tongan locals Dee and Bronco Sugar.

Before the event, the rim of the volcano's caldera, or opening, reached just above the waves, forming two connected islands - the larger edifice called Hunga-Ha'apai and the smaller one known as Hunga-Tonga.

These protrusions are still present, although dramatically reduced in size. Prof Cronin swam around them, diving down to pick up some rocky debris.

"It was pretty cool," he told BBC News. "The water was really clear and gorgeous to swim in. I saw the first barnacles starting to grow on the volcanic rocks and there were angelfish and a few other small fish. Dee saw a small barracuda. There was no sign of volcanic [activity]."

Prof Cronin has been in Tonga this past month, making observations that will help him better understand what happened in January. (See his posts on Twitter)