Authorities confirmed that a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck 12 km south of Honaunau-Napoopoo on Hawaii’s Big Island, with no tsunami threat to the US state of Hawaii. The earthquake occurred at 9:46 p.m. local time on Friday, with the epicenter located at 19.34 degrees north latitude and 155.84 degrees west longitude, at a depth of 22.4 kilometers, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS stated that the earthquake was widely felt across the Hawaiian Islands, but there were no apparent impacts on Mauna Loa or Kilauea volcanoes. Following the earthquake, several small aftershocks have been reported and may continue in the coming days, according to the US Geological Survey. Hawaii has experienced 36 other earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater within 100 kilometers of Friday’s quake over the past 50 years.
In response to the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a tsunami warning. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda reassured that the earthquake was not significant enough to cause a tsunami for the Island of Hawaii. The United States has a four-tiered tsunami alert system, including a tsunami information statement, a watch, an advisory, and a warning, each indicating different levels of potential tsunami impact.
