Underwater volcano erupts off Tonga
Updated on 19 March 2009
An undersea volcano is erupting off the coast of Tonga, sending plumes of steam, ash and smoke up to 100 metres into the air above the South Pacific ocean.
The volcano, which is situated approximately 6 miles off of the main Tongan island of Tongatapu, is one of around 36 undersea volcanoes clustered in the area.
There is currently no danger to residents of the island as the gases are blown offshore.
Coastal residents said the steam and ash column first appeared on Monday morning, after a series of sharp earthquakes were felt in the capital, Nuku'alofa.
Tony Hurst, New Zealand Geological and Nuclear Sciences Volcanologist, said these kinds of eruptions do not normally cause a tsunami, although it was possible.
Tonga, a 170-island archipelago about halfway between Australia and Tahiti, is part of the Pacific "ring of fire", an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching from Chile in South America through Alaska and down through Vanuatu to Tonga.
