Home Reef Explained

Home Reef is a volcanic island atop a submarine volcano in Tonga. It is located southwest of Vava'u, between the islands of Kao and Late along the Tofua volcanic arc. The island is ephemeral, and has been repeatedly built and eroded by successive eruptions in 1852, 1857, 1984, 2006, 2022, and 2023.

An eruption in 1984 built a small, temporary island, as well as pumice rafts which washed up as far away as Fiji and Australia.^[2] The island washed away within a few months.^[3] After a volcanic eruption started on 8 August 2006, Home Reef emerged as an island; that eruption also spewed into Tongan waters large amounts of floating pumice, which swept across to Fiji about 350km (220miles) to the west of the new island.^[4] In October 2006, it reached almost the same size as it did in 1984, when it was about 0.5x. The island was first seen by the crew of a yacht, who recorded its emergence in their blog.^{[3] [5]} The eruptions produced extensive rafts of pumice, which drifted northeast from the new island. The pumice rafts and new island were imaged by the Aqua satellite in August 2006.^[6] Images also revealed several small hot crater lakes on the newly formed island.^[2] The volcano erupted again in September 2022.^[7] Eruptions began on 10 September, and by 17 September had built an island with an area of and an elevation of above sea level.^{[7] [8]} On 20 September the Tonga Geological Services warned of ash to a height of, drifting up to northwards and eastwards.^[9] On 23 September 2022 the island was reported to have grown to in size,^[10] estimated at the following day.^[11] On 25 September, the island had an elevation of above sea level.^[12] By 3 October it had grown to in size.^[13] The eruption ended on 17 October.^[14] On the 23 of September, 2023, satellites spotted heat sources and a plume of volcanic gas coming from the island. As of October 1, 2023, the eruption is still going and is likely to continue and grow the island.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Tonga
• List of recently born islands

Notes and References

1. 243080 . Home Reef . 2017-02-28.
2. Satellite Observations of New Volcanic Island in Tonga . Vaughan . R. Greg . Abrams . Michael . Hook . Simon J. . Pieri . David . Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union . 88 . 4 . 2007 . 37, 41 . 10.1029/2007EO040002. 2007EOSTr..88...37V .
3. News: Tonga's ephemeral island . New Zealand Geographic . 84 . Anna Keating . March 2007 . 17 September 2022.
4. Web site: Home Reef Reborn . NASA . 24 May 2008 . 17 September 2022.
5. Web site: Stone sea and volcano . Fredrik and Crew on Maiken . . 2006-08-17 . 2006-11-28.
6. Web site: NASA Earth Observatory. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061117034346/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17461 . 17 November 2006 .
7. Web site: Home Reef Volcanic activity increasing as island re-emerges . Matangi Tonga . 17 September 2022 . 17 September 2022.
8. Web site: NASA's Earth Observatory spots newly birthed island in the Pacific . BGR . Joshua Hawkins . 22 September 2022 . 24 September 2022.
9. Web site: Home Reef Volcano new ash eruption low risk to Vava'u and Ha'apai . Matangi Tonga . 20 September 2022 . 20 September 2022.
10. Web site: Volcanic Tongan island keeps on growing . . 23 September 2022 . 23 September 2022.
11. Web site: A new island has emerged out of the Pacific Ocean, but it may soon disappear . Hernandez . Joe . en-US . . 25 September 2022 . 25 September 2022.
12. Web site: New island emerges from the ocean after underwater eruption near Tonga . Stuff . 25 September 2022 . Ella Morgan . 25 September 2022.
13. Web site: Home Reef volcano activity non-threatening says Tonga's Geological Services . . 3 October 2022 . 3 October 2022.
14. Web site: Hazard zone lifted but landing prohibited on Home Reef island . Matangi Tonga . 22 October 2022 . 22 October 2022.