Nature Podcast

Scientists scramble to understand the devastating Tongan volcano eruption, and modelling how societal changes might alter carbon emissions.In this episode:00:46 Understanding the Tongan eruptionOn the 15th of January, a volcano in the South Pacific Ocean erupted, sending ash into the upper atmosphere, and unleashing a devastating tsunami that destroyed homes on Tonga’s nearby islands. Now scientists are trying to work out exactly what happened during the eruption — and what it means for future volcanic risks.News Feature: Why the Tongan eruption will go down in the history of volcanology08:49 Research HighlightsThe genes associated with reindeers’ roaming behaviour, and how fossilised puke has thrown up new insights into pterosaurs’ stomachs.Research Highlight: A reindeer’s yearning to travel can be read in its genesResearch Highlight: Petrified puke shows that ancient winged reptiles purged11:29 Modelling societal changes to carbon emissionsA team of researchers have modelled what humans might do in the face