More than 70 earthquakes in seismic swarm around Kamaʻehuakanaloa, formerly Lōʻihi Seamount

Kamaʻehuakanaloa volcano (formerly Lōʻihi Seamount), offshore to the southeast of the Island of Hawaiʻi, entered a period of heightened seismic unrest around 6 p.m. HST on Friday, Nov. 1, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Although seismicity declined slightly around midnight, rates of earthquakes remain above background levels Saturday.

The HVO issued as status update saying there have been over 70 earthquakes so far in this swarm, with 32 events greater than magnitude 2 and two events greater than magnitude 4. The largest earthquake has been a magnitude-4.3 event that occurred Saturday at 12:05 p.m. HST, at a depth of 5.8 km (3.6 mi) below sea level and 4.8 km (3.0 mi) below the volcano’s summit. The USGS has so far received only one felt report from the Island of Hawaiʻi for this event.

Elevated seismicity continues at Kamaʻehuakanaloa, but it is not expected to impact other volcanoes or any infrastructure on the Island of Hawaiʻi, the HVO reports. “The source of the earthquakes is difficult to determine at this time, but it may be related to the movement of magma beneath Kamaʻehuakanaloa. Prior swarms related to probable eruptions at the volcano have consisted of thousands of earthquakes over days to weeks. Eruptive activity at this volcano would have no impact on residents of the Island of Hawaiʻi,” according to the HVO.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Kamaʻehuakanaloa, and will issue further updates as needed for any significant changes in activity.