Is the underwater volcano near Tonga as dangerous as Surtsey?

[Ivan Seeking]

Video at the link.

Scientists are on their way to the site of a large undersea volcano that has been erupting for days near Tonga, sending columns of smoke and ash thousands of feet into the sky above the Pacific Ocean.

The spectacular plumes are erupting from the ocean about six or seven miles (10 - 12 km) off the coast of the main island of Tongatapu, near the low-lying twin volcanic islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5936330.ece

 

[waht]

Wow that's impressive. Never imagined I would see an underwater volcano erupting in my lifetime.

 

[sas3]

They also had a 7.9 Magnitude earthquake in that area.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009ejbr.php"

 

[slider142]

That was utterly majestic. Thanks for the heads up. :!)

 

[Loren Booda]

I wonder what danger the photographers might have been in?

Remember Surtsey, south of Iceland? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surtsey"