Latest News from Vava'u Island Group, Tonga
2009
An undersea volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga, tossing clouds of smoke, steam and ash thousands of feet (meters) into the sky above the South Pacific ocean. The eruption caused a 7.9 magnitude earthquake which hit Tonga.
The eruption was at sea about 10 kilometers from the southwest coast of the main island of Tongatapu, an area where up to 36 undersea volcanoes are clustered.
The eruption is only 34 nautical miles off the coast of the Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa
