Updated at 8:33 a.m., Sunday, February 11, 2007
10 minor quakes registered last week on Big Isle
Advertiser Staff
Ten minor earthquakes were recorded on the Big Island during the past week, most — if not all — of them perceivable only to sophisticated measuring devices, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Center.
The Big Island temblors ranged in magnitude from 1.9 to 2.1, falling into the "micro" quake category, according to the USGS.
The two most recent quakes came yesterday — the first with a 2.0 magnitude at 4:36 a.m. in the Volcano area, and the second with a 1.8 magnitude at 1:46 p.m. near Leilani Estates, some 23 miles south of Hilo.
As a point of reference, the Southern California area has about 10,000 earthquakes a year. Most of them are so small that they are not felt.
Only several hundred are greater than magnitude 3.0, and only about 15-20 are greater than magnitude 4.0, according to the USGS.
