No tsunami threat following 5.2 magnitude earthquake on Big Island

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook the west side of the Big Island this evening but did not generate a tsunami, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at about 5:09 p.m. and was centered about 15 miles west-southwest of Kailua-Kona at a depth of about 10 miles. The quake was centered on land and was not strong enough to generate a destructive tsunami,

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center noted that some areas may have experienced strong shaking. The USGS website’s “Did you feel it?” self-reported survey received about 200 responses from throughout the island within a half-hour of the quake.

Hawaii Electric Light Company is working to restore power to the Waikoloa area. Hawaii County Civil Defense reported a large boulder fell on Highway 19 at the Hapuna Junction. Rocks fell on Highway 11 near mile markers 100 and 110.

Read more: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/04/13/breaking-news/no-tsunami-threat-following-big-island-earthquake/

---

This happened overnight Eastern time. Of course the Big Island has the active volcanos too so not unexpected, but their Volcano Observatory noted there were no changes in activity or status of Kīlauea or Mauna Loa.

[FBaggins]

1. Not sure why tsunami are even part of the headline

Hawaii isn’t likely to get tsunami from local earthquakes unless large portions of an island collapse. They can get them, but they almost exclusively come from far away earthquakes.

And, of course, a 5.2 isn’t going to do much even we’re it the “right” kind of earthquake

[Clash City Rocker]

2. Yeah, I was going to ask if such a small quake could create a tsunami

I used to live in the San Francisco area. I didn’t really consider it an earthquake if it was under 5, so 5.2 is, to me, barely an earthquake at all.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Doesn't matter the intensity

but where (depth and/or near certain geological structures) or for how long - https://www.livescience.com/31440-small-earthquakes-tsunamis.html

[FBaggins]

5. It would have to be almost 100 times larger

To create a tsunami that might do damage

But it’s more complicated than that. The type of earthquake matters too. The strike-slip type you get in CA aren’t likely to do so even in the 7s... and neither are volcanic ones (again, unless they cause part of an island to collapse). It’s the fault lines where one plate is diving under another that cause the devastating waves... but those faults are along plate boundaries thousands of miles away.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I think it's just a standard "media check" and report

since USGS works with PTWC to coordinate responses and they monitor both agencies. I notice the media will do this for any earthquake that happens in U.S. territory when a more "significant" quake happens near or along a coast (e.g., AK or West Coast).

[Baclava]

6. Scary, an earthquake could trigger a massive landslide and mega tsunami

Hawaii's island chain has been crumbling back into the sea since they were born, with new ones rising to take their place




Landslide-Driven Megatsunamis

There are at least 15 giant landslides that have slid off the Hawaiian Islands in the past 4 million years, with the most recent happening only 100,000 years ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. One block of rock that slid off Oahu is the size of Manhattan