See what happens when volcanoes erupt: Tonga volcano blast was an eye-opener

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai undersea volcano eruption in 2022 was larger than any natural explosion in the past century or even any US nuclear explosion, according to a study released recently in Science Advances. We take a look at massive volcano eruptions in 2023.

A satellite image shows the erupting Shiveluch volcano on the Russia's Kamchatka peninsula on April 12, 2023.

Volcanic ash covers the ground and houses after the Shiveluch volcano's eruption in Klyuchi village on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, April 11, 2023.

A view from inside a car shows a road covered in volcanic dust following the eruption of Shiveluch volcano in the settlement of Klyuchi on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia April 11, 2023.

Smoke and ash are visible during the the Shiveluch volcano's eruption on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, April 11, 2023.

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted March 11, 2023 with avalanches of searing gas clouds and lava, forcing authorities to halt tourism and mining activities on the slopes of the country’s most active volcano.

The eruption throughout the day blocked out the sun and blanketed several villages with falling ash. No casualties have been reported.

Residents living on Merapi’s slopes were advised to stay 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away from the crater’s mouth and be aware of the danger posed by lava. Tourism and mining activities were halted.

Smoke rises during an eruption of Mount Merapi, Indonesia's most active volcano, as seen from Tunggularum village in Sleman on April 7, 2023.

Colombian Air Force showing smoke and ash billowing from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, near Murillo, Tolima Department, Colombia, on April 10, 2023. The eruption threat of the volcano has loomed since the end of March when the number of daily tremors within the snow-capped volcano shot up from 50 to 12,000.