The extreme height of the Tonga plume means it could potentially affect space weather phenomena

NASA detected the shockwave from the underwater eruption high up in the atmosphere.

The explosive volcanic eruption in Tonga on Saturday appears to dwarf the largest nuclear detonations ever conducted, according to a global group that monitors for atomic testing.

Government officials in Tonga said tsunami waves nearly 50 feet high rushed inland, destroying everything in their path on the western coasts of the Tongatapu Islands, 'Eua and Ha'apai Islands.

Based on preliminary satellite data from global weather radars, an estimated height of the eruption column likely reached an altitude of 39 km (128,000 ft)! This detail has yet to be confirmed, but if correct, that's the highest eruption plume in modern times ever.