The eruption of an underwater volcano off the Pacific island nation of Tonga in 2022 generated the fastest underwater current, according to a study published in the journal Science on Thursday.

The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Volcano, equivalent to hundreds of atomic bombs, sent rocks, ash and gas racing across the seafloor at 122 kilometers per hour in January last year, the study led by scientists from Britain's National Oceanography Center said.

The speed of the flow was calculated using the timings and locations of damage to the underwater telecommunications cables connecting Tonga with the rest of the world.

The speed and power of the currents were so great that they were capable of running at least 100 kilometers across the seafloor and wrecking the cables, Mike Clare of the NOC said.

The volcano's eruption plume, up to 57 kilometers high, fell directly into the water and onto steep underwater slopes, explained Clare.

The eruption also triggered a tsunami that killed at least three people and destroyed homes on Tonga.

WITH AFP