Strong Earthquakes Strike Off Hawaii Coast; No Tsunami Threat

KEY POINTS

USGS said more than 1,300 people felt the tremors
Nobody was injured but the quakes were strong enough to cause items to fall off shelves
Scientists say they are not related to the Kilauea volcano eruption

Two earthquakes, with a magnitude of 6.1 and 6.2, rattled the south of Hawaii's Big Island on Sunday. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said there is no tsunami threat or immediate reports of damage.

While the 6.1 magnitude quake struck about 17 miles south of Naalehu around noon, the second one was reported about 20 minutes later in the same area, reported US Today. USGS categorizes a 6.3 magnitude earthquake as "strong."

Over 1,300 residents felt the tremors within one hour, according to the USGS "Did you feel it?" service. Though no one was injured, the quakes were strong enough to knock items off shelves. The refrigerator display doors at a gas station in Naalehu were opened by the shaking, causing items to fall to the ground.

However, the intensity of the recorded shaking could have caused "very slight damage to buildings or (poorly constructed) structures," according to the USGS.

6.2-magnitude quake centered off Hawaii Island rattles state; no tsunami threat https://t.co/2Iiqb0sTwk #HNN #HINews
— Hawaii News Now (@HawaiiNewsNow) October 11, 2021

The Hawaii Department of Transportation said there were no reports of damage at airport runways, commercial harbors or highway bridges.

The quakes reportedly are not connected to the volcano eruption at Hawaii's Kilauea summit. The volcano, one of the most active on Earth, erupted last month.

Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, told Star-Advertiser that webcams and other data streams indicate no impact on the eruption except for a few minor rockfalls reported within Halemaumau crater.

The temblors were likely related to the bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain, a common source for earthquakes in this area, Hon said, adding, "It also helps to explain why it was felt so far and wide."

The eruption at the Halemaumau crater was reportedly contained within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and it posed no threat to homes in the area.

The last time a quake of such magnitude struck Hawaii was in May 2018. It heralded the initial phases of the destructive three-month-long East Rift Zone eruption. There have been 15 other earthquakes with a magnitude of six or above in the region in the last century.