energy released in this very short lived blast that was able to essentially explode water, push water out of the way and create this shock wave that sent ripples literally across the globe. in california, many beaches were closed as a precaution and that s more than 5,000 miles from where the volcano erupted. john donnison, bbc news. jacinda ardern said on sunday that images of volcanic eruptionnear tonga were hugely concerning and agencies were stilltrying to establish full communications with the country. communications in all of tonga were cut off as a result ofthe eruption, making any assessment difficult, ardern said. butthe defence force and foreign ministry are working to establishwhat s needed and how new zealand can help, she added.