Pacific Rim shook by two quakes, hours apart. Coast on alert

Thursday, December 8, 2016, 1:29 PM - A powerful earthquake struck the Solomon Islands Thursday, just hours after a similar earthquake was detected off the coast of California.

The Solomon Islands quake was initially rated Magnitude 8.0, but the U.S. Geological Survey later revised it downward to a still-powerful Magnitude 7.8.

The quake struck about 70 km from the town of Kirakira on the island of Makira, at a depth of 41 km. It prompted several tsunami warnings, though CNN reports wave heights were only slightly elevated, and some blackouts were reported in the country.

"The earthquake was one of the biggest and longest I have ever felt," Solomon Islander Tali Hong told CNN from Honiara, the archipelago's capital. "I was born here in Honiara and lived here most of my life."

Earlier quake detected off of California

The quake in the Solomon Islands struck a couple of hours after the tremor detected in Californian waters.

The California quake was detected about 170 km off the coast of Eureka. The U.S. Geological Survey initially put the quake at Magnitude 6.8, later revised downward to Magnitude 6.5.

The tremor struck at a relatively shallow depth of 12 km. However, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has not issued any tsunami alerts or warnings.

"Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake," a statement from the center reads.

This is the second strong quake to strike offshore of the North American continent in recent weeks.

In late November, a Magnitude 7.0 quake struck off the coast of Central America, also at a shallow depth, at a time when powerful Hurricane Otto was crossing the region.

The quake prompted authorities to order evacuations on the coasts of Costa Rica and Nicaragua and issue tsunami warnings, although only a small tsunami was generated, and no damage or injuries were reported.

Earlier in November, a strong Magnitude 7.8 quake struck off the coast of New Zealand, altering the landscape, damaging buildings and causing at least two deaths, with recovery costs estimated in the billions.

SOURCE: USGS | Tsunami.gov