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Tonga: coral dating, a 57 km plume and volcanic nests
At Nukuleka, worked coral files help date a Lapita settlement; a peer-reviewed analysis placed the 2022 Hunga Tonga plume’s highest reach at 57 km, while malau eggs incubate in volcanic soil.
At a glance
A place worth remembering
Nukuleka’s coral files as a dating tool
Worked coral files from Nukuleka supplied samples for a uranium–thorium chronology. Burley, Weisler and Zhao use it to refine the settlement timeline beyond the limited radiocarbon dates: they place a founder event at 2,838 ± 8 BP and trace later archaeological development over about 250 years.[1]
How do plume measurements compare?
A peer-reviewed analysis of geostationary imagery places the 15 January 2022 plume’s highest extent at 57 km, in the lower mesosphere. NASA’s CALIPSO readings instead showed eruption material at 31 km the next day and suggested that a small amount may have reached 39.7 km on 15 January; these are distinct observations, not directly interchangeable measurements.[2][3]
Malau incubation and nest monitoring
The Polynesian megapode (Megapodius pritchardii), known locally as malau, buries eggs in volcanic soil where heat incubates them; most nesting grounds on Niuafo’ou lie in the caldera near the lake. Butler’s 2014 survey counted nine active grounds, broadly stable since the 1990s, but active burrows had declined at most grounds. At three of four compact sites with complete burrow counts, reported falls were 72–96%.[4]
Good to know
A few clear answers before you explore.
How did researchers date the Nukuleka settlement event?
They used uranium–thorium analysis of worked coral files. Burley and colleagues report 2,838 ± 8 BP for a founder event at the site.[1]
Which observations yielded the 57 km plume estimate?
Proud and colleagues derived the maximum from geostationary satellite images of 15 January 2022. NASA’s CALIPSO figures come from separate observations and dates.[3][2]
How does malau incubate its eggs?
It buries them in volcanic soil and uses the ground’s heat. Butler’s 2014 account places most nesting grounds in Niuafo’ou’s caldera near the lake.[4]
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