Science News Roundup: Explainer-Scientists struggle to monitor Tonga volcano after massive eruption; Ozone harms East Asian crops, costing $63 billion a year, scientists say

The eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, which sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean and was heard some 2,300 kms (1,430 miles) away in New Zealand. Ozone harms East Asian crops, costing $63 billion a year, scientists say Fossil fuel emissions aren’t just driving climate change and worsening air quality, they’re also hurting crop yields enough to cause some $63 billion in annual losses in East Asia, scientists say.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Explainer-Scientists struggle to monitor Tonga volcano after massive eruption

Scientists are struggling to monitor an active volcano that erupted off the South Pacific island of Tonga at the weekend, after the explosion destroyed its sea-level crater and drowned its mass, obscuring it from satellites. The eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, which sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean and was heard some 2,300 kms (1,430 miles) away in New Zealand.

Ozone harms East Asian crops, costing $63 billion a year, scientists say

Fossil fuel emissions aren't just driving climate change and worsening air quality, they're also hurting crop yields enough to cause some $63 billion in annual losses in East Asia, scientists say. With high levels of ozone pollution, China, South Korea and Japan are seeing diminished yields in wheat, rice, and maize, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Food.