Wow! Tonga Volcano Eruption Could Be Felt All the Way in Montana

A few days ago, there was a huge volcanic eruption in the South Pacific Ocean on the uninhabited island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, which resulted in shockwaves and damaging tsunamis across the globe. The island itself was essentially destroyed and early data shows that it may have been the largest volcanic eruption in over 30 years.

And even though the eruption happened on the other side of the world, people on the far side of North America were affected by it, too. People in Alaska and Canada reported hearing the explosion - despite the fact that it was over 5000 miles away - and multiple tsunami waves hit the west coast of the US.

And here in Montana, if you had the right equipment, you could have felt and recorded the eruption as it happened, too.

KPAX reports that many barometers across Montana felt two shockwaves moving underground, and they recorded rapid pressure changes as the shockwaves made their way from west to east.

It's pretty incredible to think about how much every single person in the world can be affected by one volcano in the middle of the ocean, and the lasting effects it can have once that volcano explodes. And since it's only been a few days, it's likely we'll still be dealing with the aftermath of the explosion for some time to come.

If you want more info about everything that's been going on with the Hunga Tonga volcano eruption, this Wikipedia page provides a good summary of just about everything that's happened so far.