An underwater volcano has been erupting for days off the coast of Tonga without posing any danger [AFP]

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre released an alert following the earthquake on Thursday, but cancelled it hours later, saying no Tsunami was expected.

"When no major waves are observed for two hours after the estimated time of arrival ... then local authorities can assume the threat is passed," it said.

The warning was initially given for Tonga, Niue, Kermadec Island, American Samoa, Samoa, Wallis-Futuna and Fiji after the earthquake's registered epicentre was 209km southeast of Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga.

The quake happened at 1817GMT at a focal depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey reported.

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.

An undersea volcano has been erupting for days near Tonga, shooting smoke, steam
and ash hundreds of metres into the sky, without posing any danger to islanders.

Residents of Tonga said the steam and ash column first appeared on Monday morning, after a series of sharp earthquakes were felt in the capital.

Recommend this article...

Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto: