A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii, causing shelves to shake and power outages in the surrounding town. Despite the chaos, there are no immediate reports of serious damage. The earthquake was located at a depth of 23 miles on Mauna Loa’s southern flank and occurred less than two hours before a separate quake in Southern California.
Helen Janiszewski, a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, stated that Hawaii lies on the Pacific oceanic tectonic plate and is home to some of the world’s largest volcanoes. She explained that due to the massive amount of rock associated with the islands, it is enough to displace the Pacific oceanic plate beneath the islands, consequently causing earthquakes. Additionally, a spokesperson at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reported that there was no apparent damage to its roads or visitor centers despite the intensity of the earthquake. Overall, Hawaii experiences earthquakes about once every 1.5 years, and the Big Island is mostly rural, with several small cities and many agricultural sites.
The volcanic activity raises important questions about how to assess earthquake readiness and potential volcanic eruptions in Hawaii. Despite being the site of seismic and volcanic activities, Hawaii’s economy includes farmland and resort areas on the Big Island, necessitating careful balancing between residential and commercial zones and safeguarding against natural disasters. Nonetheless, this recent incident reminds us of the astonishing powers of the Earth that go on beneath our feet, and the necessity of constantly updating seismic policies in earthquake-prone areas.
