Solomon Islands Hit With Flurry of Earthquakes

A flurry of earthquakes has occurred this week in the Solomon Islands, but so far no significant tsunami have been generated.

The latest – and strongest – tremor occurred at 12:16 p.m. today, Hawaii time, and had a magnitude of 6.7.

According to the US Geological Survey, since midnight Sunday, Hawaii time, the nation in the southwestern Pacific has been struck with 19 quakes of magnitude 4.6 or greater, including 11 of magnitude 5.0 or more.

The list includes four of magnitude 6.0 or stronger, including one measuring 6.0 at 7:36 p.m. Thursday, one measuring 6.2 at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and another of 6.0 at 1:03 p.m. that same day (all Hawaii time).

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Oahu, none generated a tsunami that could threaten Hawaii.

Most of the earthquakes occurred in the Santa Cruz Islands located in the southeastern portion of the archipelago.

The Solomon Islands nation is nearly 1,000 miles in length and found in a tectonically active region that lies roughly 3,600 miles southwest of Hawaii.

In April 2007, the islands were hit by an 8.1-magnitude earthquake that generated a tsunami that claimed at least 52 lives in the Solomons. It was followed within the next several days by more than 40 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater.

The Solomon Islands were the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, especially around Guadalcanal, the nation’s largest island.