A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the South Pacific Ocean on March 30, 2025, approximately 73 km southeast of Pangai, Tonga. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 29.0 km and was detected at 12:18:47 UTC.
According to seismic data, the earthquake resulted from reverse faulting west of the Tonga Trench, where the Pacific plate is subducting beneath the Australia plate at a rate of 73 mm/yr. The location is part of an active Australia-Pacific plate boundary, one of the most dynamic in the world.
This is not the first time a large earthquake has occurred in this region. Since 1900, nine other events with a magnitude of 7 or larger have taken place within 250 km of the March 30 event. These earthquakes can pose a tsunami hazard due to their shallow nature and potential for vertical displacement of the sea floor.
The proximity of these earthquakes to Tonga means that timely warnings are crucial in case of a tsunami generation. Earthquakes in this region regularly trigger tsunamis, which can have devastating effects on coastal communities.
Further information and data on this earthquake can be found at [insert link].
Source: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000pntq/executive