What type of earthquake rocked the Hawaiian Islands? Was it tectonic, volcanic, or another kind?
According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/), it looks as if this was a tectonic quake. It appears as if the quakes were generated by slippage along a fault. However, they are still not certain about this. It should be noted that in saying that this was a tectonic quake, I am not saying that this was generated by movement of a tectonic plate. Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific plate. Therefore, its geologic activity is not directly related to plate tectonics. In writing that this is a tectonic quake, I am stating that it was caused by movement along a fault as apposed to be generated by the movement of magma beneath the surface.
