HVO: Tuesday’s 4.7 Hawaiʻi Island earthquake was similar in origin but unrelated to the 6.0 quake from May 22

There was no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi following a 4.7 magnitude earthquake reported at 10:37 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. The earthquake occurred 14 miles east of Pāpa‘ikou on Hawaiʻi Island at a depth of 24 miles below sea level, and had no apparent impact on either Maunaloa or Kīlauea volcanoes, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

“The depth, location, and recorded seismic waves of the earthquake suggest a source due to bending of the Pacific plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain, a common source for earthquakes in this area,” according to HVO scientists. “These earthquakes are generated below the volcanoes and the ocean crust in the upper mantle beneath the Hawaiian Islands.”

The HVO reports Tuesday’s earthquake was similar in origin but unrelated to the magnitude-6.0 quake that occurred on May 22 and the magnitude-4.6 that occurred on June 2 on the west side of the island.

“All of these earthquakes are likely related to stress from the weight of the island on the underlying rigid mantle and were not directly related to volcanic processes or magma movement,” according to the HVO.

Scientists say aftershocks are possible in the coming days to weeks. There were more than 716 felt reports recorded by the USGS Did You Feel It? website within the first hour, with reports coming from Maui, Molokaʻi and Oʻahu.

• USGS National Earthquake Information Center Maps and Reports for this Event: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv74978947 
• USGS-HVO Interactive Earthquake Map of Hawaiʻi: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/earthquakes