A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Tonga at 11:17 a.m. PDT, March 20, 2009. The epicenter of the earthquake was 131 miles southeast of the island's capital Nuku'alofa. A tsunami warning was issued because an earthquake of such magnitude could cause a major tsunami.USGS: Magnitude 7.9 Tonga Region Reuters AlertNet: Warning of possible S. Pacific tsunami after quake (March 19, 2009)The tsunami warning was later canceled.Honolulu Advertiser: Tsunami warning canceled for islands near Tonga (March 19, 2009) Although a tsunami was formed in the ocean, it was not major enough to cause significant damage.Sky News: Quake And Volcano Trigger Tsunami (March 19, 2009)Honolulu Advertiser: Tsunami warning canceled for islands near Tonga (March 19, 2009) UPI: Underwater quake, volcano off Tonga (March 19, 2009)
Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga lies between Samoa and New Zealand just west of the International Dateline. The world's day begins in Tonga. The island is part of the Pacific "ring of fire", a term for area in the South Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.msnbc: Powerful quake strikes in South Pacific (March 19, 2009)
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No immediate reports of injures or damage
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Tsunami warning issued for Tonga, Fiji, Niue, the Kermadecs of New Zealand, American Samoa, Samoa and Wallis-FatunaCNN: Quake measuring 7.7 reported off Tonga (March 19, 2009)
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It is not clear if there is a relation between the quake on March 20 and the earlier volcano eruptionmsnbc: Powerful quake strikes in South Pacific (March 19, 2009)
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Small sea level changes or strong currents could occur in some areas in Hawaii for the next few hoursCNN: Quake measuring 7.7 reported off Tonga (March 19, 2009)
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