Aloha! once again, Aloha.

You're entirely Correct with everything you say in your first 2 paragraphs.

But while you're certainly *on* a Plate, -you are nowhere near any of its Fault Line Edge. Your particular Hotspot of the World, -is pretty much Smack in the Middle, -of your Pacific Plate.

(Now another prominent Volcanic World Hot Spot, -Iceland, -*is* also Right on such a Boundary, -this being the Mid Atlantic Ridge. In addition to it being a Major Hot Spot in its Own Right).

Indeed you have many of the Vulcanological Earthquakes. But Far Fewer, -if even any, -of the more classic Plate Boundary type Earthquakes. (Mid-Plate again, -Not "Edge-Plate).

But once again, -You also have the occassional Pure "Landslide" types of Quakes, -as I mentioned earlier. The Major one you just had, -along with its Aftershocks, -is such a one. Albeit a rather Rare one. When the Earth puts as much "Magmatic Land" above the Ocean Surface, -as it does in your Chain (probably the World's only significant one), -then Gravity sooner or later wants to do its thing! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]aloha[/email]