Hawaii: Consecutive earthquakes rock Big Island's Naalehu, no tsunami expected

Two massive earthquakes rocked the southern part of Hawaii on Sunday. As per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, struck the island during midday, hitting roughly 17 miles south of the Big Island's southern point, Naalehu. The second tremor, with a strength of 6.2 impacted the same location around 20 minutes later.  

The National Weather Service in Honolulu informed that the quakes will not cause a tsunami. Although no injuries have been recorded, the tremors were severe enough to cause damages. Several people took to Twitter to express what they felt and experienced during the strong tremors. 

The lastest tremors occur following Hawaii's Kilauea volcano which is considered to be one of the world's most active volcanoes, that exploded again last month, creating lava fountains and spewing smoke pouring from its main crater. According to USGS experts, the eruption at the Halemaumau crater looked to be limited to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and posed no danger to nearby residences. 

Hawaii earthquakes

The latest earthquake is unrelated to the continuing eruption of Kilauea volcano, Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was quoted by Honolulu Star-Advertiser as saying. Hon further explained that the quake is most likely connected to the twisting of the oceanic plate due to the weight of the Hawaiian archipelago, which is a typical cause of seismic events in this region. It also explains why it was felt so widely.  

Meanwhile, a relatively shallow strength of 4.6 earthquakes was observed in Hilo, Hawaii, on Tuesday, October 5. The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 20 miles, as per the US Geological Survey, at 8:36 pm local time. The tremor did not cause any substantial damage, according to preliminary seismic data, although it was likely felt by many individuals in the epicentre region as a gentle vibration. 

(Image: PTI/Pixabay)