The presence of pink pumice in the giant pumice raft of the 2012 Havre that drifted across the southwest Pacific Ocean has led researchers to recognize the immense power of underwater volcanic eruptions.

The publication of the new research comes after the recent dramatic explosion of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga, about 1200 km north of the Havre volcano, which has sharply brought the world’s attention to the explosive potential and hazards associated with submarine eruptions.

Professor Bryan, who has been studying pumice rafts for more than 20 years, said the pink pumice produced in the 2012 Havre eruption revealed insights into how magma can shoot out and up from underwater volcanoes.

«Unlike Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, Havre is in a much more remote location. Its summit is 900m below sea level, and the nearest populated areas are around 800km away on the North Island of New Zealand,» Professor Bryan said.

When the volcano erupted in 2012, there was no one to see it happen. But the colour of the pumice tells the story of what happened.

Joseph Knafelc, lead author of the research, said the new model put forward in the research challenged the known depth limits for explosive eruptions.

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