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Earthquake off coast of Hilo does not pose tsunami threat

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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A light earthquake struck off the coast of Hilo this morning.

A light earthquake struck off the coast of Hilo early this morning but did not pose a tsunami threat.

The magnitude 4.5 quake struck at 4:42 a.m., centered 5 miles east of Papaikou and about 7 miles southwest of Hilo at a depth of 26 miles, according to updated information from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

“No tsunami is expected,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. “However, some areas may have experienced shaking.”

The USGS said the temblor was felt on Maui and the Big Island, and its “Did you feel it?” self-reporting web survey received more than 280 reports within 90 minutes of the earthquake.

“HVO monitoring networks have not detected any significant changes in activity on Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes due to the earthquake,” Brian Shiro, HVO seismic network manager, said in a news release.

HVO officials said the depth, location, and seismic waves of the earthquake suggest a source due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain, a common source for earthquakes in the area. They added that aftershocks are possible.

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