With Mother Earth shaking the islands up some, has anyone heard from Aloha?

I hope he's ok.

At around 18 eastern time, either CNN or Fox was talking to someone who was saying that thier internet communications off the islands was being erratic. Power is out all over the big island, and thier phone lines aren't down but might as well be from all the phone calls.

I'm not going to worry if we don't hear from him until tommorrow.

Aloha samhain, thank you for the concern and your thoughts.

Aloha is alive and well in the islands. Power was restored about an hour ago. I look at it as a preparedness test. We were ok today.

I felt the first quake, which was reportedly a 6.5 or 6.6 depending on who did the reporting, just as I was coming out of sleep. It didn't feel very strong and I was trying to figure out what exactly it was. The second one occurred a few minutes later and was reported to be 5.7 but it felt much stronger with lots more shaking. Then the power went out. Apparently statewide. Our governor was able to make an emergency declaration for the state so hopefully that will bring in federal funding for damages.

Fortunately for me and my family, there were do damages. I do not believe there were any deaths statewide, just some cuts and bruises. I guess we will know more in the coming days as damage assessment gets done.

On to the preparedness...

We had food, we had water, and we had multiples ways to cook. We had radios and batteries. Oh and the lights...I am a flashaholic after all. And we had a radio station that was able to stay on the air and broadcast. That was very helpful in staying informed of what was happening. So we cancelled our plans and hunkered down at home.

The portable stove was a big hit. We had a nice hot breakfast and some hot tea. Then a hot lunch. When the power went back on we had some ice cream (it was starting get a little soft). And I was going to make a fire and cook outside but the rains kicked back in, so food is cooking inside as I type this. We have been under a flash flood watch as well.

I use the recycle through approach to storing supplies including food and water and we were at our low point today. It is ironic that today was going to be shopping day for food and bottled water. We still have enough to get us through about a couple of weeks. I am rethinking my rotation schedule.

A blessing was our water system. Even though there was no power for the pumps to pump water, our reservoirs are situated as far uphill as possible so gravity alone is enough to generate about 60 pounds of water pressure.

Thanks again.

I'm glad ya'll are ok.

Of course Hawaii is known for many smaller, volcanic related quakes.

Though "more standard" quakes be rather Rare.

And those standard quakes are even quite different from those in most other Quake Zones of the World! In that its *not* fault-line based, -but rather over the Sheer, Great Weight of "Land", -sticking up out of the Ocean!

Just like all Islands West of the Big Island are smaller, -Clear over to Midway, -but once were just as big, -Hawaii erodes away over Geologic Time. Built Up Eastward, -Erodeing Down Westward. In that Great Famous Tug of War between their Fire Goddess (Volcanos), and their Sea Goddess.

The Gravitational Collapse, -along with their accompanying "standard quakes", -are all just a part of this. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ironraven[/email]

I am no geologist or vulcanonlogist, but here is my understanding (recalled from school many years ago). There is a hotspot in the pacific that is stationary. I believe it is called the Hawaiian hotspot. And the Hawaiian islands are on the Pacific Plate that does move ever so slowly. Each island was once over the hotspot and built up through volcanic activity. And as the plate moved, it took the island off the hotspot and it stopped growing.

Right now, I beleive there are three active volcanos on the big island of Hawaii along with the undersea volcano of Loihi. I remember hearing it called a seamount. That means Hawaiian real estate will be growing. We should have a new island in the next 10,000 to 20,000 years. Let me know if you guys want to get in on the ground floor and buy now. It is all "beach front" at the moment.

Oh, back to earthquakes... With that said, Hawaii will continue to have earthquakes as we are on a moving plate (but then again, who isn't) and because of our proximity to the hotspot and ongoing volcanic activity. We are still having aftershocks.

We prepare as best as we can for that as well as for our annual hurricane season. That is part of why I read this fine forum.

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]