The primary tectonic feature near Samoa is the northernmost extent of the Tonga Trench where the Pacific plate is being subducted beneath the Australian plate. The trench strikes south-southeast between New Zealand and Samoa, then turns sharply to the west. Its close proximity makes the Samoan Islands prone to tsunami that are generated during subduction events.
Earthquakes Date Region Coords MMI Deaths Injuries Comments 2009-09-29 8.1 Mw 189 Hundreds Moderate tsunami 1977-04-02 7.6 Ms VI Limited damage / tsunami 1917-06-25 8.5 Mw Large tsunami Note: The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.
See also List of earthquakes in Tonga List of earthquakes in Fiji
References