The Pacific Ring of Fire has been extremely active as numerous regions were rocked by powerful earthquakes. This activity can be typical for the area, as the Ring of Fire is known for frequent seismic and volcanic events during periods of heightened activity.
TONGA – A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Tonga on Wednesday night.
The U.S. Geological Survey said that the earthquake struck at 10:57 p.m. UTC south of the Fiji Islands at a depth of about 211.4 miles.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck off the coast of the Fiji Islands on Wednesday night.
It’s the latest earthquake to rattle the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent seismic activity. About 90% of the world’s earthquakes and around 75% of its active volcanoes are located along the Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire is a 25,000-mile belt of volcanoes and earthquake zones surrounding much of the Pacific Ocean.
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The earthquake happened about 418 miles from Tongatapu, Tonga, and nearly 600 miles from the Fiji Islands, according to the USGS.
It follows Tuesday’s magnitude 6.2 earthquake off the Philippines, and Monday’s magnitude 6.3 earthquake west of the Loyalty Islands.
Kingdom of Tonga viewed from above
(mdurinik / Getty Images)
The eastern margin of the Australia plate is one of the most seismically active areas of the world due to high rates of convergence between the Australian and Pacific plates, according to the USGS.
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Since 1900, there have been 15 magnitude 7.5+ earthquakes recorded near New Zealand. The largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand itself was the 1931 magnitude 7.8 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, which killed 256 people.
North of New Zealand, the Australia-Pacific boundary stretches east of Tonga and Fiji to south of Samoa, the USGS said.
There have been no reports of shaking and injuries are highly unlikely.
