Map of Tonga-Kermadec Trench. The Tonga trench is home to some of the deepest earthquakes ever observed. Credit: Public domain

Map of Tonga-Kermadec Trench. The Tonga trench is home to some of the deepest earthquakes ever observed. Credit: Public domain

Deep earthquakes in the depths of the ocean

By Alka Tripathy-Lang

May 29, 2019

Beneath the sparkling blue seas in the southern Pacific Ocean lies the mysterious underworld of the Tonga Trench – the second deepest place on Earth. The Tonga Trench is over 10 km deep and is home to +65% of the world’s deepest earthquakes. In 2018, two of the largest deep earthquakes ever recorded in this part of the Pacific occurred within days of one another.

To find out why, continue reading on the IRIS website.