On 9 December 2016 at 4:38 a.m. local time, the Solomon Islands region was rocked by an Mww7.8 earthquake, centred 30 km off San Cristobal Island, about 61 km southwest of Kirakira, the capital of Makira-Ulawa Province. Initially registering magnitude 8.0, later downgraded to 7.8, the temblor prompted tsunami warnings that kept countries surrounding the Coral, Tasman and Solomon Sea on high alert, but was later cancelled. A large aftershock of magnitude 6.9 occurred shortly afterwards. This earthquake was largely felt, waking many residents who later ran to high ground for fears of a potential tsunami. The earthquake killed a child and affected some 34,000 people in Makira, South Malaita and Guadalcanal Island where many had lost their homes or had no access to basic needs. Earthquakes are common in this region, with little or no fatalities. This earthquake is tied with three other magnitude 7.8 earthquakes for the second largest earthquake of 2016. On 17 December, Solomon Islands would be rattled again by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, this time 54 km east of Taron, Papua New Guinea. Magnitude 7.8 (mww), 40 km deep, 69 km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands — 10.68°S, 161.33°E. December 8, 2016 at 17:38 UTC. Tsunami: USGS flags this quake as having caused one, or the potential for one. Felt reports to USGS: 28. Wiki link https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20007z80 Data: US Geological Survey (public domain).