An earthquake shook the slopes of Mauna Kea yesterday, as reports are coming in that a magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattled the Mauna Kea slopes yesterday afternoon. There are no reports of damage or injuries, this according to Hawaii County Civil Defense officials.
The quake occurred at approximately 2:10 pm and according to according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach there is no danger of a tsunami, as they are saying the quake was too small to cause any type of tsunami trouble.
The Waimea headquarters of the Keck Observatory was briefly evacuated, said communications officer Larry O’Hanlon. He said the main quake lasted less than 10 seconds and was followed by several aftershocks. He said engineers determined there was no damage at the observatory atop Mauna Kea, where the quake also was felt.
“It wasn’t a big quake, but it was a very sharp jolt followed by some more rolling waves,” he said. “It rattled people.”
The quake was centered about six miles northwest of Mauna Kea’s summit, according to Civil Defense. About 25 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 2.0 to 3.6, were recorded in the hour after the quake.
The initial quake was about 12 miles deep and 13 miles southeast of Waimea, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was felt throughout the island, according to reports from the public compiled by the USGS.
Earthquakes hit Hawaii all the time, albeit most of them are very small. This one was a bit more substantial, however it was still small enough that no tsunami warning is being issued, and no injuries are being reported.
This earthquake comes on the heels of the Papua New Guinea earthquake that hit the ring of fire the other day.
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