Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Scientists visit active Tongan volcano
Source: Agencies |
March 20, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Scientists sailed yesterday to inspect an undersea volcano that has been erupting for days near Tonga - shooting smoke, steam and ash thousands of meters above the South Pacific ocean.
Authorities said yesterday the eruption does not pose any danger to islanders at this stage, and there have been no reports of fish or other animals being affected.
Spectacular columns are spewing out of the sea about 10 kilometers off the southwest coast of the main island of Tongatapu ?? an area where up to 36 undersea volcanoes are clustered, geologists said.
Trade winds continued to blow gas and steam away from the island yesterday.
Tonga's police deputy commander Taniela Faletau said coastal villages close to the site were not yet at risk.
He said he was waiting for the government team of officials and scientists to survey the area and report on their observations before taking any action.
Coastal residents said the steam and ash column first appeared on Monday morning after a series of sharp earthquakes were felt in the capital, Nuku'alofa.
Tonga, a 170-island archipelago about halfway between Australia and Tahiti, is part of the Pacific "ring of fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching from Chile in South America through Alaska and down through Vanuatu to Tonga.
Authorities said yesterday the eruption does not pose any danger to islanders at this stage, and there have been no reports of fish or other animals being affected.
Spectacular columns are spewing out of the sea about 10 kilometers off the southwest coast of the main island of Tongatapu ?? an area where up to 36 undersea volcanoes are clustered, geologists said.
Trade winds continued to blow gas and steam away from the island yesterday.
Tonga's police deputy commander Taniela Faletau said coastal villages close to the site were not yet at risk.
He said he was waiting for the government team of officials and scientists to survey the area and report on their observations before taking any action.
Coastal residents said the steam and ash column first appeared on Monday morning after a series of sharp earthquakes were felt in the capital, Nuku'alofa.
Tonga, a 170-island archipelago about halfway between Australia and Tahiti, is part of the Pacific "ring of fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching from Chile in South America through Alaska and down through Vanuatu to Tonga.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
