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Infrared Satellite Imagery Shows 'Gravity Waves' From Tonga Volcano

Infrared satellite imagery recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows ash emerging from the January 15 volcanic eruption near Tonga, as well as gravity waves fanning out.

Communication with Tonga remains extremely limited after the eruption due to damage to undersea cables. The Government of Tonga said on Tuesday that three deaths had been confirmed, along with an unspecified number of injuries.

This video, released by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, shows the volcanic cloud created by the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai on January 15, as well as “a pronounced arc of cloud-top gravity waves along its eastern edge as the bulk of the cloud material drifted westward.” Credit: CIMSS / NOAA via Storyful