Small undersea volcanoes may trigger outsized tsunamis, new imaging suggests

New imaging of the Hunga caldera, taken after its eruption, has given scientists fresh details about how the underwater volcanic structure collapsed - findings that suggest even relatively small undersea volcanoes could be capable of generating disproportionately large tsunamis.

The Hunga eruption drew significant scientific attention for its scale and its atmospheric and oceanic effects. The latest post-eruption imaging adds to that body of research by documenting how the caldera's structure changed during the collapse, offering clues about the mechanics behind tsunami generation at underwater volcanic sites.

Researchers say the findings could have implications for hazard assessment around other undersea volcanoes that might not previously have been considered major tsunami risks due to their smaller size.