The Gale encyclopedia of Science

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Volcano

| By K. Lee Lerner | The January 13, 2022 explosion of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, an undersea volcano located about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu, sent powerful blasts of ash, steam, and volcanic gases up to 25 miles (40 km) high into the atmosphere. The explosion formed a … Read more

Researching the Omicron Variant

| By K. Lee Lerner | Viruses are constantly undergoing mutation. Genetic mutations, most commonly a set of multiple mutations, produce different viral strains or variants. As we begin 2022, nearing the start of the third year of a global pandemic, the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease, is spreading rapidly … Read more