6.4 Earthquake Shakes Papua New Guinea, But No Tsunami Triggered

A 6.4 earthquake has struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea, but seismic experts think it’s not powerful enough to threaten the Hawaiian islands with a tsunami.

The 6.4 earthquake struck Tuesday afternoon, taking place at a depth of 21 miles. Striking at 1:14 pm Hawaiian time, the quake measured a magnitude 6.4, the US Geological Survey noted.

The incident took place about 19 miles north of Rabaul, which itself has a history with seismic events. In 1994 it was the site of an active volcano that erupted, destroying a large number of buildings in the area.

“It would certainly have given the area a good shake but Rabaul is on the edge of our damage radius,” seismologist John Bathgate from Geoscience Australia told AFP.“There’s potential for some damage, but expect it to be very minimal.”

Bathgate noted that there is potential for damage in the coastal areas of New Ireland, but that the threat of a tsunami has passed.

“It’s not unusual for the area to experience this type of quakes, or even larger,” he added.

This area is known as the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which sees a high amount of seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

The 6.4 earthquake that struck in Papua New Guinea generated interest among Hawaiian media outlets, keeping islanders updated as the risk for tsunami was deemed non-existent.

“Based on all available data, a destructive pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no threat to Hawaii,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center noted. “Repeat, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii.”

The 6.4 earthquake that struck on Tuesday is now the second major seismic event to strike near Papua New Guinea in close to a week. An earthquake measuring a magnitude 6.8 also struck in the region last week, but there was no major damage reported.