Why are there so many earthquakes?
The New Hebrides region is much more than the simple tectonic arrangement where the Australia Plate dives beneath the Pacific Plate. These plates converge to form the New Hebrides subduction zone along the southwestern part of the circum-Pacific “Ring of Fire”. This subduction zone poses earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic hazards and provides a fascinating example of complex micro-plate tectonics.
This animation breaks out the history of how the New Hebrides back-arc region developed. Watch the New Hebrides Part 1 first to get a broader overview of the earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunami hazards across the region.
Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone, along the southwestern part of the circum-Pacific “Ring of Fire”, produces tsunami-generating earthquakes and volcanoes, including the explosive eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in 2022.
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