Ta'u Island | U.S. Geological Survey
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Ta'u Island
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Ta'u Island
green NORMAL, 2026-04-02 18:49:22 UTC
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Taʻū Island is located at the east end of the Samoan Islands, in the United States Territory of American Samoa. Volcanic activity in American Samoa is within the area of responsibility of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, based in Hilo on the Island of Hawai‘i.
Volcanoes in American Samoa
Facts Block
Location:
American Samoa
Latitude:
14.23° S
Longitude:
159.45° W
Elevation:
931 (m) 3,054 (f)
Volcano type:
Shield
Composition:
Basalt
Most recent eruption:
unknown
Nearby towns:
Taʻū village, Fitiuta
Threat Potential:
Low*
*based on the
National Volcano Early Warning System
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitors volcanoes in American Samoa
Learn about HVO
HVO Quick Links
Volcanic Hazards in Pacific U.S. Territories Fact Sheet
Volcanoes of American Samoa Fact Sheet
Media Newsroom
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Volcano Watch - HVO's weekly article
Summary
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
View Media Details
NASA Astronaut image of Ta'u Island (Manu'a Islands, American Samoa) in the South Pacific Ocean.
Taʻū Island is the top of a
shield volcano
(sometimes called Lata), most of which is under water.  The volcano has a summit
caldera
, and the highest elevation of the island is more than 3,000 feet (900 meters). Most of the southern part of the caldera has been removed by landslides.
Two rift zones are present on Taʻū, one to the northeast and one to the northwest. Dotting the sides of Taʻū island are at least a dozen circular
scoria
/cinder cones. The lower slopes of Taʻū island feature at least three
tuff
cone features.
See the
Geology and History
page for more information on Ta‘ū Island, as well as Vailulu‘u seamount and other nearby submarine vents in American Samoa.
July - September 2022 Earthquake Activity
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
View Media Details
Earthquakes in oceanic environments can generate pressure waves that travel long distances within the ocean itself. Much like seismographs record ground shaking, this energy is recorded by submerged hydrophones measuring pressure changes in water. Using an array of these instruments located offshore of Wake Island, 2,800 miles (4,500 km) northwest of Ta'ū volcano in American Samoa, we can detect earthquakes from around the Pacific Ocean and determine the direction to their origin. The above plot shows the number of earthquakes coming from the direction of Ta'ū volcano, recorded over time since late July at the Wake Island array. The detections are limited to larger, more notable events, and provide a consistent record of Ta'ū earthquake activity, including events that predate the installation of local seismic monitoring equipment.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
View Media Details
Wake Island is about 2,800 miles (4,500 km) northwest of Ta'ū volcano in American Samoa. Both are located in the Pacific Ocean.
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) responded to earthquake activity in the Manuʻa island group of American Samoa during July - September 2022. Residents reported that earthquakes began in late July 2022.  Seismometers (earthquake-detecting devices) installed in American Samoa in response to the earthquakes suggest that the earthquakes occurred closer to Taʻū island than the nearby submarine volcano, Vailuluʻu.
Experts at the Pago Pago National Weather Service Office (NWS), USGS Volcano Hazards Program, NOAA Pacific
Tsunami
Warning Center, NOAA-IOC International Tsunami Information Center, and USGS National Earthquake Information Center worked together with the American Samoa EOC during this response.
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
View Media Details
This reference map depicts the volcanoes in the Manu
a Islands, American Samoa, the site of seismic unrest between July and September 2022. Marked on the map are the locations of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory GPS and seismometers in the islands. The topography and bathymetry are colored to respectively indicate elevations above sea level (up to 3,179 feet or 969 meters, the top of Lata Mountain) and depths below sea level (only down to -1,148 feet or -350 meters). The bathymetry data are courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Maxar/DigitalGlobe, and the University of Hawai
i School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology (SOEST), with coarser resolution at greater depths. A shallow submarine ridge extends to the northwest from Ta
ū Island towards Olosega Island; it was along this ridge that a submarine eruption occurred in 1866.
Stay Informed
To receive updates on volcanoes in American Samoa, subscribe to the USGS Volcano Notification Service (VNS). This free service sends notices via email about volcanic activity in the US.
To receive Volcano Activity Notices (VANs), subscribe to the VNS at
. For emails about American Samoa unrest, select Ofu-Olosega, Ta’u Island, and Tutuila Island from the list of available volcanoes. Alternatively, select “Hawaiian Volcano Observatory - Add All Volcanoes” from the list of available volcano observatories to receive notices about volcanoes in Hawaii and American Samoa.
For more information about the different types of VNS notifications, please see:
If you have questions, please contact:
askHVO@usgs.gov
Photo & Video Chronology – August 28-September 11, 2025 – Field work and community engagement in American Samoa
September 18, 2025
Photo & Video Chronology – August 28-September 11, 2025 – Field work and community engagement in American Samoa
Photo and Video Chronology – American Samoa – August 2023
August 15, 2023
Photo and Video Chronology – American Samoa – August 2023
Volcano Watch — USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff return to American Samoa
August 3, 2023
Volcano Watch — USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff return to American Samoa
View All
August 8, 2024
Volcanoes of American Samoa
Volcanoes of American Samoa
Upu Amata (Introduction) O le Atu-Samoa o le tasi lenei o faʻasologa motu mauga mu i le Vasa Pasefika i Saute. O motu e pito i sasaʻe o nei faʻasologa mauga mu o le Atu-Samoa, o motu ia o Amerika Samoa. E tofu lava mauga mu taʻitasi o Amerika Samoa ma ona talaaga aemaise tulaga e tutupu e ono pa ai i le lumanai. O loʻo galulue faʻatasi le Ofisa o le U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ma le...
Authors
Natalia I. Deligne, Drew T. Downs, Elinor Lutu-McMoore, Steven Sobieszczyk, Wendy K. Stovall
By
Volcano Hazards Program
Volcano Science Center
Ofu-Olosega
Ta'u Island
Tutuila Island
July 19, 2019
Volcanic hazards in the Pacific U.S. Territories
Volcanic hazards in the Pacific U.S. Territories
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa lie along the western side of the famed Pacific Ring of Fire. Here, the processes of active island and submarine volcanoes produce activity both underwater and in the atmosphere that poses potential hazards to the daily lives of residents and travelers. Since 2000, CNMI volcanoes have erupted six times, and one...
Authors
Gabrielle Tepp, Brian Shiro, William W. Chadwick
By
Volcano Hazards Program
Volcano Science Center
Agrigan
Ahyi Seamount
Alamagan
Anatahan
Asuncion
Daikoku Seamount
East Diamante
Esmeralda Bank
Farallon de Pajaros
Fukujin Seamount
Guguan
Kasuga 2
Maug Islands
Ofu-Olosega
Pagan
Ruby
Sarigan
South Sarigan Seamount
Supply Reef
Ta'u Island
Tutuila Island
Zealandia Bank
Subduction Zone Science
October 22, 2018
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment
When erupting, all volcanoes pose a degree of risk to people and infrastructure, however, the risks are not equivalent from one volcano to another because of differences in eruptive style and geographic location. Assessing the relative threats posed by U.S. volcanoes identifies which volcanoes warrant the greatest risk-mitigation efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners...
Authors
John W. Ewert, Angela K. Diefenbach, David W. Ramsey
By
Volcano Hazards Program
Volcano Science Center
Agrigan
Ahyi Seamount
Alamagan
Anatahan
Asuncion
Belknap
Black Butte Crater Lava Field
Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field
Blue Lake Crater
Carrizozo Lava Flow
Cascade Range Weekly Update
Cinnamon Butte
Clear Lake Volcanic Field
Coso Volcanic Field
Crater Lake
Craters of the Moon Volcanic Field
Daikoku Seamount
Davis Lake Volcanic Field
Devils Garden Lava Field
Diamond Craters Volcanic Field
Dotsero Volcanic Center
East Diamante
Esmeralda Bank
Farallon de Pajaros
Fukujin Seamount
Glacier Peak
Guguan
Haleakalā
Hell's Half Acre Lava Field
Hualālai
Indian Heaven Volcanic Field
Jordan Craters Volcanic Field
Kama‘ehuakanaloa
Kasuga 2
Kīlauea
Lassen Volcanic Center
Long Valley Caldera
Mammoth Mountain
Markagunt Plateau Volcanic Field
Maug Islands
Mauna Kea
Mauna Loa
Medicine Lake
Mono Lake Volcanic Field
Mono-Inyo Craters
Mount Adams
Mount Bachelor
Mount Baker
Mount Hood
Mount Jefferson
Mount Rainier
Mount Shasta
Mount St. Helens
Newberry
Ofu-Olosega
Pagan
Red Hill-Quemado Volcanic Field
Ruby
Salton Buttes
San Francisco Volcanic Field
Sand Mountain Volcanic Field
Sarigan
Soda Lakes
South Sarigan Seamount
Supply Reef
Ta'u Island
Three Sisters
Tutuila Island
Ubehebe Craters
Uinkaret Volcanic Field
Valles Caldera
Wapi Lava Field
Weekly Update
West Crater Volcanic Field
Yellowstone
Zealandia Bank
Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
View All
November 29, 2023
Geology and History of Ta‘ū Island
Along with Tutuila and Ofu-Olosega volcanoes to the west, Ta‘ū Island is the top of a potentially active volcano within the United States Territory of American Samoa.
By
Ta'u Island
Geology and History of Ta‘ū Island
November 29, 2023
Geology and History of Ta‘ū Island
Along with Tutuila and Ofu-Olosega volcanoes to the west, Ta‘ū Island is the top of a potentially active volcano within the United States Territory of American Samoa.
Contacts
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Email
askHVO@usgs.gov
Phone
808-967-7328
Facts Block
Location:
American Samoa
Latitude:
14.23° S
Longitude:
159.45° W
Elevation:
931 (m) 3,054 (f)
Volcano type:
Shield
Composition:
Basalt
Most recent eruption:
unknown
Nearby towns:
Taʻū village, Fitiuta
Threat Potential:
Low*
*based on the
National Volcano Early Warning System
Volcano Hazards Program Links
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