What are some of the seismic hazards that regularly disrupt life and landscape in Hawai'i, and why do these kinds of events occur so frequently here?
What will be an ideal response?
Earthquakes are not unusual in Hawai'i. They are caused by rising magma that wedges the earth apart. The text reports that 14 earthquakes on the Big Island have exceeded 6.0 on the Richter scale since 1868.
An even bigger hazard to life on Hawai'i are earthquakes that may not directly affect the Hawaiian Islands, but generate tsunamis. Tsunamis are large waves caused by earthquakes, submarine landslides, or volcanic eruptions. Many travel long distances across the Pacific following earthquakes in East Asia, and can take 5 to 15 hours to cross to the Hawaiian Islands.
However, tsunamis can be generated by local events as well, and can be more dangerous because they could strike the Hawaiian Islands with little warning.
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