Magnitude 6.7 Felt Throughout Hawaii

The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center: A strong earthquake occurred about 10 miles (15 km) north-northwest of Kailua Kona or 65 miles (100 km) west of Hilo, Hawai`i at 11:07 AM MDT, Oct 15, 2006 (7:07 AM HST in Hawaii). The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available.

Numerous people suffered minor injuries, many buildings damaged and landslides blocked roads on Hawaii. Power outages occurred throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

The Island of Hawaii is the youngest island in a chain of volcanoes that stretch about 3500 miles across the north Pacific Ocean. The island chain results from a stationary hot spot that originates deep beneath the crust. The ocean crust and lithosphere above the hot spot move to the northwest as a result of plate tectonics. During the process new island volcanoes are formed and older volcanoes are carried away from the hot spot source, erode, and eventually subside beneath sea level. The vast majority of earthquakes in Hawaii are related to volcanic activity. Some occur before or during an eruption and likely result from underground movement of magma. Others, like this recent earthquake, result from stresses that build in the Earth’s crust as the volcano grows. Earthquakes on the volcanic Island of Hawaii are not rare. The largest on record was the magnitude 7.9 1868 earthquake which triggered a tsunami that drowned 46 people and spawned numerous landslides that resulted in 31 deaths. In the vicinity of the recent earthquake, a magnitude 6.9 tremor struck on August 21st 1951 that damaged scores of homes on the Kona coast and triggered numerous damaging landslides.