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Another Quake, Stronger than the First, Strikes Pacific; 7.2 Magnitude Event Unlikely to Create Tsunami

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The blue dot reflects the epicenter of the 7.2 earthquake that struck moments ago, the strongest of 11 earthquakes that struck the area today. Image: USGS
The blue dot reflects the epicenter of the 7.2 earthquake that struck moments ago, the strongest of 10earthquakes that struck the area today. Image: USGS

A strong 7.2 earthquake struck near the Loyalty Islands in the Pacific a short time ago just hours after another strong earthquake rattled the region; however, there does not appear to be any tsunami threat from that earthquake around the Pacific, including to Hawaii, Alaska, and California, Oregon, and Washington.

According to the Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 7.2 magnitude event occurred roughly at 7:44 pm  Hawaii time / 1:44 am ET.  The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 22.7 South, 170.3 East, which is just southeast of the Loyalty Islands.


There does not appear to be a threat of tsunami from the strong Pacific earthquake that struck a short time ago. Image: USGS
There does not appear to be a threat of tsunami from a series of  strong Pacific earthquakes that struck within the last 24 hours in the southwestern Pacific. Image: USGS

“Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii, ” the Tsunami Warning Center issued in a bulletin. They added, “There is no tsunami threat to Hawaii.” The USGS subsequently rated the earthquake as a magnitude 7.0 event after the Tsunami Warning Center analysis of a 7.2.

This earthquake is the 11th of the last 24 hours; the intensity of the other nearby earthquakes were 5.7, 5.4, 5.9,  5.7, 4.7, 4.7. 5.1, 4.5, 6.9

The USGS updated the specifics of the earthquake after the Tsunami Warning Center issued their bulletin. USGS adjusted the event to a magnitude 6.9 event. According to USGS, the epicenter struck at a depth of 10 km. The earthquake struck in a very seismically active area between Australia and Hawaii.