No Tsunami: 5.0 Earthquake on South Flank of Kīlauea Volcano

5.0 Earthquake, Kīlauea. (5.3.18, 10:30 a.m.) PC: USGS/HVO

There is no tsunami expected following a 5.0 (revised upward from a preliminary magnitude 4.4) earthquake on the South Flank of the Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island.  That according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.  The PTWC says there is no tsunami expected, however some areas may have experienced shaking.

The earthquake was reported at 10:30 a.m. HST on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at a depth of 7 km, according to preliminary reports from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

5.3.18 vantage from Waiakea Uka. PC: Lealanimelemoana Galvin via Big Island Now.

The tremor was felt across the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, including the majority of initial ‘felt’ reports tracked by the USGS coming from Hilo, Pāhoa and Keaʻau. The USGS “Did you feel it?” website received over 500 felt reports from around the Big Island within an hour after the quake. The maximum intensity of shaking was recorded as VI on the Mercalli Intensity Scale, indicating “strong shaking” at the earthquake’s epicenter.

“It appears that ground shaking from the earthquake caused rockfalls in the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on Kīlauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone, which resulted in a short-lived plume of reddish ash rising above the cone,” said Tina Neal, HVO Scientist-in-Charge. No other changes at Kīlauea have been observed, but HVO scientists are closely monitoring the data.

The Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency advises residents of the area to be aware of the possibility of aftershocks.  “If the earthquake was strongly felt in your area, precautionary checks should be made for any damages; especially to utility connections of gas, water, and electricity,” the Civil Defense message stated.

Shake Map. PC: USGS 5.3.18, 10:30 a.m. Kilauea, Hawaii Island.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the quake occurred within these preliminary distances:

8 miles SSE of Fern Forest, HI
10 miles S of Eden Roc, HI
24 miles S of Hilo, HI
222 miles SE of Honolulu, HI

The USGS reports that the earthquake occurred within these preliminary parameters:

3.6 mi NW of Lae ‘Apuki (historical), Hawaii
18.3 mi SSW of Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaii
25.7 mi S of Hilo, Hawaii
61.8 mi ESE of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
223.7 mi SE of Honolulu, Hawaii