An expedition is getting under way in the South Pacific to investigate one of the most seismically-active fault lines in the world. Researchers are planning to study the Tonga Trench - a deep feature where the Pacific tectonic plate is being forced under the Indo-Australian plate. The island nation of Tonga is regularly hit by tremors - most recently a 6.4 magnitude quake offshore last month. Read more
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred at 17:57:56 (UTC) on Saturday, February 12, 2011, in the Tonga region, 55 km NW of Nuku'alofa, at a depth of 81 km.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred at 06:03:26 (UTC) on Monday, January 31, 2011, in the Tonga region, 95 km SSW of Nuku'alofa, at a depth of 68.6 km.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred at 23:34:44 (UTC) on Wednesday, November 03, 2010, in the Tonga region, 120 km NE of Nuku'alofa, at a depth of 33.2 km.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred at 12:02:55 (UTC) on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, in the Tonga region, 150 km ENE of Nuku'alofa, at a depth of 9.9 km.
A strange double earthquake was responsible for the tsunami that devastated parts of the South Pacific in 2009, scientists claim. In a rare set of events, an initial 8.1 magnitude earthquake was immediately followed by a second 8.0 shock. Read more
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred at 17:20:31 (UTC) on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, in the Samoa Islands region, 198 km SW from APIA, at a depth of 32 km.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred at 02:34:29 (UTC) on Saturday, February 13, 2010, in the Tonga region, 95 km SSE of Nuku'alofa, at a depth of 10 km.