In 1984, Tonga's Home Reef shot a 12km-high plume into the sky and built an island. 42 years later, the growing volcanic island has gained nearly 20 acres of land
Tonga's Home Reef, a submarine volcano, has been actively reshaping the seafloor and creating ephemeral islands since the 19th century. A major 1984 eruption significantly expanded the landmass, which continues to evolve through cycles of volcanic activity and erosion.
Why it matters
It highlights the dynamic nature of Earth's geography and the ongoing geological processes that create and destroy landforms in the Pacific.
In 1984, Tonga's Home Reef shot a 12km-high plume into the sky and built an island. 42 years later, the growing volcanic island has gained nearly 20 acres of land. The underwater volcano has been changing the shape of the seafloor and the surface of the South Pacific through repeated eruptions. Home Reef is a submarine volcano located on the Tonga Volcanic Arc, west of the Tonga Trench in the South Pacific. The area is part of one of the most active volcanic arcs on Earth. Eruptions at Home Reef can push volcanic material above the ocean and create islands. These islands can later be reduced or removed by erosion.Home Reef has created and lost islands for more than a centuryThe first recorded eruption of Home Reef took place in 1852. Another eruption followed in 1857. Since then, the volcano has gone through periods of activity and inactivity.
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