The ring of fire is rather angry at present..Tonga and Santa Cruz..

Magnitude 6.6
Date-Time Monday, January 09, 2012 at 04:07:16 UTC
Monday, January 09, 2012 at 03:07:16 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 10.557°S, 165.160°E
Depth 38.9 km (24.2 miles)
Region SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances 75 km (46 miles) WNW of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Isl.
355 km (220 miles) E of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, Solomon Isl.
584 km (362 miles) ESE of HONIARA, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
2266 km (1408 miles) NE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 13.9 km (8.6 miles); depth +/- 8.8 km (5.5 miles)
Parameters NST=195, Nph=201, Dmin=584.4 km, Rmss=0.65 sec, Gp= 25°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=B
Source Magnitude: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID usc0007hrv

Originally posted by union_jack
The ring of fire is rather angry at present..

No, no it isnt.
This would be the first of anything above 5's all year.
Certainly nothing to speak of in the last week or so.

This is interesting pattern. Yesterday there was series of quakes Java - New Guinea area, now quakes are moving along plate boundary towards Santa Cruz - Vanuatu - Tonga - Kermadec Islands. If same pattern keeps moving, next ones will hit New Zealand. Be aware people who live in North Island.