The NOAA Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning yesterday for Tonga, Niue, Kermadec Is., American Samoa, Samoa, Wallis-Fortuna & Fiji in the South Pacific after what must have been an entirely startling event: an underwater volcano erupted about ten kilometers off the Tongan coast, sending debris hurtling into the air out of the open sea.
Unsettling, yes. But the AP quotes David Bellwood, a marine biology professor, as saying "But an underwater explosion is really a wonderful thing, it's creating new land. This kind of activity helps develop reef systems and helps preserve marine life."
The tsunami warning was subsequently canceled.
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