- WHY IT MATTERS: Rick MacPherson of the Coral Reef Alliance in San Francisco, California, says the uplift is not an unusual occurrence for an earthquake of this magnitude, and that the event may not have a long-term impact on the coral reefs in the region.
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The April 2 quake that unleashed a deadly tsunami in the Solomon Islands lifted an entire island 10 feet out of the sea, destroying some of the world's most pristine coral reefs.
The 8.1 magnitude quake lifted the Solomons' Ranongga island ten feet (three meters) out of the sea, widening beaches by up to 230 feet (70 meters). The uplift has left some of the island's pristine coral reefs fatally exposed.
In some places the beaches in the Solomons now resemble a barren moonscape with once vibrant corals bleaching under the sun. On one beach the quake even revealed a sunken vessel that locals believe is a Japanese patrol boat from World War II.
