The underwater explosion off Tonga on 14 January 2022 sent a shockwave travelling faster than 1000 km/h, according to Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Almost as fast as the speed of sound. Sonic booms from the eruption were heard across the Pacific, including in Fiji and Vanuatu, and as far as Alaska, more than 9 000km away

In La Palma, the volcano that erupted over Christmas has spewed lava that swallowed over 1 000 homes and continues to hold temperatures of more than 500 degrees Celsius in some parts.

So, what can the latest research into what have been called ‘Earth’s architects’ tell us about the lead up to an eruption? Are we close to being able to track the evolution of an eruption in real time? Can we trace the mechanisms by mapping the crystals that appear in lava? And how can the organisms living in some of the most inhospitable parts of our planet help improve climate models?