Major earthquake strikes near Northern Mariana Islands; no tsunami threat to Hawaii
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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A major earthquake struck near the Northern Mariana Islands this morning but posed no tsunami threat to Hawaii.
Authorities say a strong earthquake has hit off the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands near Saipan in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck at just after 7 a.m. Saturday (11 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Friday) at a depth of 117 miles. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there’s no threat of a destructive Pacific tsunami and no danger to Hawaii, Alaska or the West Coast of the U.S.
There are no initial reports of damage or injuries on the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States. Saipan is the capital and the largest island in the archipelago.
3 responses to “Major earthquake strikes near Northern Mariana Islands; no tsunami threat to Hawaii”
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Northern Mariana is very far away. North of Guam and has the world’s deepest part of the ocean. Mariana Trench is 6.6 miles deep and is a subduction zone so that’s why it is earthquake prone.
The real “Shake-Rattle-and-Roll”!
Guam is in the archipelago and is about three times larger than Saipan. Saipan is the largest island of the Commonwealth.