An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 has hit the Solomon Islands archipelago today. The 7.2-magnitude quake hit the islands less than an hour after a 6.5-magnitude tremor that occurred earlier. The second, stronger quake hit the islands at approximately 9:36 am, at 103 kilometers south-southeast of Gizo in the New Georgia Islands, according to the US Geological Survey. It was also reported that the earthquake was 30.5 km deep.

To make matters worse, a 6 cm tsunami was triggered by the consecutive quakes, as reported by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. They warned that “Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a few hundred kilometres (miles) of the earthquake epicentre.” The  Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre however assured that though tsunamis may be generated, it is unlikely that it will be a major wave.

The Solomon Islands lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire and thus frequently experiences seismic activity and tremors.

Source: Stuff ,  LA Times

Want to earn some spare money as a writer for us? Send us an email!