Tonga Volcanoes
Tonga has 21 Holocene volcanoes. Note that as a scientific organization we provide these listings for informational purposes only, with no international legal or policy implications. Volcanoes will be included on this list if they are within the boundaries of a country, on a shared boundary or area, in a remote territory, or within a maritime Exclusive Economic Zone. Bolded volcanoes have erupted within the past 20 years. Suggestions and data updates are always welcome ().
Volcano Name | Location | Last Eruption | Primary Volcano Type |
---|---|---|---|
Curacoa | Tonga Ridge | 1979 CE | Submarine |
Dugong | Northwest Lau Basin | Unknown - Evidence Uncertain | Submarine |
Fonuafo'ou | Tonga Ridge | 1936 CE | Submarine |
Fonualei | Tonga Ridge | 1957 CE | Stratovolcano |
Home Reef | Tonga Ridge | 2006 CE | Submarine |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | Tonga Ridge | 2022 CE | Submarine |
Kao | Tonga Ridge | 1847 CE | Stratovolcano |
Late | Tonga Ridge | 1854 CE | Stratovolcano |
Lateiki | Tonga Ridge | 2019 CE | Submarine |
Lobster | Northwest Lau Basin | Unknown - Evidence Uncertain | Submarine |
Niuafo'ou | Tonga Ridge | 1985 CE | Shield |
Niuatahi | Northeast Lau Basin (Tonga) | Unknown - Unrest / Holocene | Caldera |
Tafahi | Tonga Ridge | Unknown - Evidence Uncertain | Stratovolcano |
Tafu-Maka | Northeast Lau Basin | 2008 CE | Submarine |
Tofua | Tonga Ridge | 2022 CE | Caldera |
Unnamed | Tonga Ridge | Unknown - Unrest / Holocene | Submarine |
Unnamed | Tonga Ridge | Unknown - Evidence Credible | Submarine |
Unnamed | Tonga Ridge | 1932 CE | Submarine |
Unnamed | Tonga Ridge | 2017 CE | Submarine |
Unnamed | Tonga Ridge | 2001 CE | Submarine |
West Mata | Tonga Ridge | 2009 CE | Submarine |
Chronological listing of known Holocene eruptions (confirmed or uncertain) from volcanoes in Tonga. Bolded eruptions indicate continuing activity.
Volcano Name | Start Date | Stop Date | Certainty | VEI | Evidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 2021 Dec 20 | 2022 Jan 15 | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Lateiki | 2019 Oct 13 | 2019 Oct 22 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 2017 Jan 23 | 2017 Jan 31 | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 2015 Oct 2 | 2022 Mar 17 (continuing) | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 2014 Dec 19 | 2015 Jan 23 ± 3 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 2009 Mar 17 (?) | 2009 Mar 22 ± 1 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Tafu-Maka | 2008 Nov 16 (?) ± 15 days | 2008 Nov 16 (?) ± 15 days | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
West Mata | 2008 Nov 16 (in or before) ± 15 days | 2009 May 16 (in or after) ± 15 days | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Home Reef | 2006 Aug 7 | 2006 Aug 16 (?) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 2004 Mar 19 | 2014 Oct 18 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 2001 Sep 27 | 2001 Sep 28 (?) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 1999 Jan 8 (in or before) | 1999 Jan 14 (?) | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | 1995 Jun 6 | 1995 Jun 23 ± 2 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | [1993 Apr 29] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Lateiki | 1991 Jun 24 (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 1988 Jun 1 | 1988 Jun 3 (in or after) | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1985 Mar 21 | 1985 Mar 22 | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Home Reef | 1984 Mar 1 | 1984 Mar 5 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Curacoa | 1979 May 14 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | 1979 May 10 (in or before) | 1979 Jul 21 (in or after) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonualei | [1974 Feb 16] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Curacoa | 1973 Jul 11 | 1973 Jul 16 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | [1970 Jan 3] | [1970 Jan 3] | Uncertain | ||
Lateiki | 1967 Dec 11 (in or before) | 1968 Jan 4 ± 4 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | [1959 Jul 2 ± 182 days] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Tofua | 1958 Dec 31 ± 120 days | 1960 Jul 2 (?) ± 182 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonualei | 1957 Jun 16 ± 15 days | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Fonualei | 1951 Aug 21 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | [1947 Jan] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Niuafo'ou | 1946 Sep 9 | 1946 Sep 17 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1943 Sep 26 | 1943 Oct 16 ± 30 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonualei | 1939 Jun | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 1937 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | 1936 Jun | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1935 Dec 7 | 1936 Feb (?) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | 1933 Apr | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 1932 Dec 1 ± 30 days | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1929 Jul 25 | 1929 Jul 26 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | 1927 Oct 4 | 1928 Sep (in or after) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 1923 Jul 1 | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | [1921 Nov] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Niuafo'ou | 1912 Oct 15 ± 5 days | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 1912 Apr 29 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 1911 Aug | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Unnamed | 1907 Jul | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 1906 Dec | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonualei | 1906 Mar | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Tofua | 1906 Jan | 1906 Feb | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | [1894 Dec] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Lateiki | [1894 (in or before)] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Niuafo'ou | 1887 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1886 Aug 31 | 1886 Sep 18 (?) | Confirmed | 4 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | 1886 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | 1885 Oct 12 (?) | 1886 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 1885 Oct (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | 1878 Apr (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | 1877 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1867 Apr 12 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | [1865] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Lateiki | 1858 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Home Reef | [1857] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Late | 1854 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 1854 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Niuafo'ou | 1853 Jun 24 | 1853 Jun 24 (?) | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | [1852] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Home Reef | 1852 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | 1851 | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Kao | 1847 Jul 10 (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 1847 Jul 10 (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Fonualei | 1846 Jun 11 (?) | 1846 Oct 10 (in or after) | Confirmed | 4 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 1845 Jul 1 ± 60 days | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Niuafo'ou | 1814 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Tofua | 1792 | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Fonualei | 1791 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Late | 1790 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Lateiki | 1781 (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Fonuafo'ou | [1781] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Fonualei | [1780 (in or before)] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Tofua | 1774 Jun | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai | 1110 ± 70 years | Unknown | Confirmed | Radiocarbon (corrected) |
There are 20 photos available for volcanoes in Tonga.

Photo by B. Hutchins, 1999 (published in Taylor, 1999).

Photo by A. Thompson (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Photo by Paul Taylor (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Courtesy of NOAA Vents Program, 2008.

Photo by Paul Taylor (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Photo by Roger Matthews, 2006 (published in GVN Bulletin).

NASA International Space Station image ISS008-E-14026, 2004 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).

Photo by Fredrik Fransson, 2006.

Courtesy of NSF and NOAA Ocean Exploration Program, 2009.

Courtesy of NSF and NOAA Ocean Exploration Program, 2009.

Photo courtesy of Royal New Zealand Air Force and Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences, 2006.

Aerial photo by Tonga Ministry of Lands, Survey, and Natural Resources, 1991 (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Courtesy of NSF and NOAA Ocean Exploration Program, 2009.

Aerial photo by Tonga Ministry of Lands, Survey, and Natural Resources, 1990 (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Aerial photo by Tonga Ministry of Lands, Survey, and Natural Resources, 1990 (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Photo by P.J.R. Shepherd (Royal New Zealand Air Force; courtesy of John Latter, DSIR, published in SEAN Bull., 1984).

Photo by Paul Taylor (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997).

Courtesy of NSF and NOAA Ocean Exploration Program, 2009.

Photo by Charles Lundquist, 1968 (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory).

Photo by the crew of the vessel "Port Nicholson," 1973 (courtesy of Tom Simkin, Smithsonian Institution).
This is a compilation of Tonga volcano information sources, such as official monitoring or other government agencies.
Volcano Observatories | |
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Tonga Geological Services, Government of Tonga | |
Tonga Meteorological Services, Government of Tonga |
Civil Protection Agencies | |
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Consulate of the Kingdom of Tonga | ![]() |
Volcanic Ash Advisory Center | |
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Wellington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) | |
- Wellington VAAC Notices |