Exploding volcano does something scientists have never seen before
[...]
One of our planet's large undersea volcanoes, the Hunga Volcano in the South Pacific, astonished scientists when it erupted in January 2022. The blast sent pressure waves around the planet. It blew a whopping 58,000 swimming pools worth of water into the atmosphere — an unprecedented amount. And the explosion's plume of ash and water reached over 35 miles high — the highest ever observed.
[...]
Even small volcanic eruptions can create lightning. But the Hunga eruption was a supercharged version. When the submarine volcano erupted, it blew torrid molten rock through the sea, creating a massive plume of water vapor. Up in the cold stormy atmosphere, the churning mix of water, ash, and hailstones created highly charged particles, Van Eaton explained. This made an excellent environment for lightning to pierce the sky.
[...]
What's more, the lightning intensity wasn't the only record broken amid this volcanic tempest. Researchers also observed the highest lightning bolts ever recorded, between 12 to 19 miles above the ocean.
[...]