This Friday, a magnitude-5.7 earthquake hit Mauna Loa, the world's largest volcano located on the Big Island of Hawaii. No severe damage has occurred, and no tsunami was expected.
Initially, the U.S. Geological Survey reported the magnitude 6.3 earthquake to be centered at Mauna Loa’s southern flank, which was at a depth of 23 miles, 1.3 miles southwest of Pahala.
Though the earthquake did not cause any extreme consequences, it did shake the residents, scaring them out of the building and their homes.
In the words of Derek Nelson, manager of the Kona Canoe Club restaurant, “It shook us bad to the point where it wobbled some knees a little bit.” He further added, “It shook all the windows in the village.”
The observatory in Hawaii reported that the cause of the earthquake was the weight of Hawaii Island on Earth’s surface. It is common for an island built through successive volcanic eruptions over a million years of time to have such occasional earthquakes.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory further said that the earthquake did not cause any damage to Mauna Loa or any neighboring volcanoes inhabiting Hawaii.
Earthquakes are not a surprising thing for residents of Big Island, as on average, the island suffers a magnitude 5 or greater earthquake once every 1.5 years. It is also the state of Hawaii that is the center of most earthquakes hitting it.
This time, it was not extreme enough to damage any building or infrastructure, a relief to all.
Except for a few cities, the Big Island is mostly rural, with cattle ranches, coffee farms, and resort hotels occupying the land. The county seat of Hilo is one of the small cities on the island and is home to a small population of 45,000.
Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu, also felt some shaking caused by the earthquake.
The magnitude-5.7 earthquake startled the residents, getting them off their daily jobs, but thankfully it did not cause any casualties.
Volcano Mauna Loa last erupted in 2022.
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