Tofua volcano (Tonga Islands): new thermal signal

A new eruption commenced at the volcano's caldera.
The latest Sentinel-2 satellite image revealed a strong thermal anomaly from the northernmost cone, Lofia, on 26 April. This might represent a new batch of magma shifting inside the conduit at high levels.
No ash nor SO2 emissions have been reported yet.
Tofua volcano is the subaerial part of a large frequently active stratovolcano. It forms the 8 km wide circular Tofua Island, dominated by the 5 km wide caldera containing a freshwater lake at only 30 m above sea level and surrounded by steep 300 m cliffs. The largest and northernmost of the cones, Lofia, has a steep-sided crater that is 70 m wide and 120 m deep and has been the source of historical eruptions, first reported in the 18th century.