Armstrong Economics The explosive eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano was massive. It would have covered much of California engulfing from San Francisco down to Los Angeles. They are still trying to figure out how big this event was yet it was certainly one of the largest to have taken place in modern times. The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is measured from 1 to 8. Pinatubo, which is considered similar to the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai eruption, scored a 6 on the index. However, Pinatubo produced an eruption column of gas and ash that rose 40 km into the atmosphere, whereas this Tongan eruption was at least 20 km high.
Such events can cause what is known as a Volcanic Winter by the ash blocking the sun. That is what has taken place many times throughout recorded history. They called the year 1816 – the year without a summer. This 19th-century disaster, played out during 1816 when the weather in Europe and North America entered a volcanic winter with widespread crop failures resulting in famine followed by plague. The dust from the eruption of Mount Tambora, which had erupted in early April 1815, had shrouded the entire globe blocking the sunlight. This sent the world into darkness and 1816 did not have a normal summer. It even snowed in New York City during July…
