Undersea Volcano Eruption Near Tonga

In the warm waters of the South Pacific, just southwest of the island nation of Tanga, an undersea volcano is making itself known. The eruption, about 39 miles north-west of the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa, began on 16th March 2009, shooting clouds of smoke, steam and ash thousands of feet into the sky above the South Pacific ocean. The volcano, which is situated approximately six miles off of the main Tongan island of Tongatapu, is one of around 36 volcanoes clustered in a highly active volcanic region that represents a portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

These dramatic images show the raw power of an undersea volcano erupting.

An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga, sending plumes of steam, ash and smoke up to 100 meters into the air, on March 18, 2009, off the coast of Nuku'Alofa, Tonga(Dana Stephenson/Getty Images)

An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga, tossing clouds of smoke, steam and ash thousands of meters into the sky above the South Pacific ocean, Tuesday, March 17, 2009. 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(AP Photo/Trevor Gregory)

(Dana Stephenson/Getty Images)

An undersea volcano erupts about 10 kilometers off the Tongatapu coast of Tonga sending plumes of steam and smoke hundreds of meters into the air. (LOTHAR SLABON/AFP/Getty Images)