Skip to main content
← Back to map
⇄ Compare

Fonuafoʻou

Fonuafo'ou

Stratovolcano · Tonga · 17m (submarine)

The active crater of Fonuafo'ou (formerly known as Falcon Island) through the SE breach and a plume that is dispersed to the NW by dominant SE Trade Winds. The ephemeral island in the central part of the Tonga Islands had been named after the British vessel H.M.S. Falcon, which reported the shoal in 1865. This volcano has been the site of eruptions on at least two occasions since the 19th century. By 1949 the island had eroded beneath sea level, but the summit of the volcano remains at shallow depths.
The active crater of Fonuafo'ou (formerly known as Falcon Island) through the SE breach and a plume that is dispersed to the NW by dominant SE Trade Winds. The ephemeral island in the central part of the Tonga Islands had been named after the British vessel H.M.S. Falcon, which reported the shoal in 1865. This volcano has been the site of eruptions on at least two occasions since the 19th century. By 1949 the island had eroded beneath sea level, but the summit of the volcano remains at shallow depths. · Photo: Photo by A. Thompson (published in Taylor and Ewart, 1997). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Tonga
Region
Tonga-Kermadec Volcanic Regions / Tofua Volcanic Arc
Elevation
17m (submarine)
Coordinates
-20.320, -175.420
Last eruption
1936
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

The ephemeral Fonuafo'ou island in the central part of the Tonga Islands is also known as Falcon Island, named after the British vessel H.M.S. Falcon, which reported a shoal in 1865. Islands up to 6 km long were formed in 1885 and 1927 eruptions; in 1933 the island had a height of more than 145 m. Passing ships often reported "smoke" issuing from the site. The latest explosive activity was reported in 1936. By 1949 the island had eroded beneath sea level, but the summit remains at shallow depths.

From Wikipedia

Fonuafo‘ou, formerly known as Falcon Island, is a submarine volcano in the western part of the Ha'apai group in Tonga. The volcano has created an island several times throughout history.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1781~1797 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01859~1874 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01874~1890 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31890~1905 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01921~1936 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 217811812185918901921

Detailed timeline

  1. 1936VEI 2Observed
    1936-06 – Ongoing
  2. 1933VEI 2Observed
    1933-04 – Ongoing
  3. 1927VEI 2Observed
    1927-10-04 – 1928-09
  4. 1921VEI 0Geological estimate
    1921-11 – Ongoing
  5. 1894VEI 0Geological estimate
    1894-12 – Ongoing
  6. 1885VEI 3Observed
    1885-10-12 – 1886
  7. 1877VEI 2Observed
    1877 – Ongoing
  8. 1865VEI 0Geological estimate
    1865 – Ongoing
  9. 1781VEI 0Geological estimate
    1781 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.