No tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi after 4.3 preliminary magnitude Kīlauea earthquake

There is no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi after a 4.3 (preliminary 4.1) magnitude earthquake located in the southwest rift zone of the Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island. The quake occurred at around 2:13 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center say no tsunami is expected, but some areas may have experienced shaking.

The USGS reports the quake was located near the following locations:

• Pāhala, Hawaiʻi, 8.1 km (5 mi) W
• Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiʻi, 62.3 km (38.7 mi) NE
• Hilo, Hawaiʻi, 66.8 km (41.5 mi) NNE
• Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, 79.1 km (49.1 mi) NW
• Honolulu, Oʻahu, 346.9 km (215.6 mi) NW

The USGS reports that the earthquake was centered about  8 kilometers (5 miles) east-northeast of Pāhala, at a depth of 34 kilometers (21 miles). 

The USGS “Did you feel it?” service received more than 125 “felt reports” within the first 30 minutes after the earthquake.

HVO Scientist-in-Charge, Ken Hon, said the earthquake had no observable impact on Mauna Loa and Kīlauea volcanoes.

In a press release statement, Hon said, “This earthquake is part of the ongoing seismic swarm under the Pāhala area, which started in August 2019.  Webcams and other data streams show no impact on the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea. Please be aware that aftershocks are possible and may be felt. HVO continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes. The Alert Levels/Color Codes remain at WATCH/ORANGE for Kīlauea and ADVISORY/YELLOW for Mauna Loa at this time.”

*More information will be added as it becomes available.