Magnitude-4.0 earthquake south of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi

On Sunday, Sept. 13, 8 a.m. HST, a magnitude-4.0 earthquake occurred 2 miles south of Pāhala on the Island of Hawaiʻi at a depth of 8 miles below sea level. The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Maunaloa or Kīlauea volcanoes, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

This earthquake occurred near the long-term seismic swarm under the Pāhala area, which has been going on since 2019. Earthquakes in this region have been observed at least as far back as the 1960s. See https://www.usgs.gov/news/volcano-watch-why-do-so-many-deep-earthquakes-happen-around-pahala for more information. 

More than 56 felt reports were recorded within first half hour at the USGS Did You Feel It? website.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes. The HVO reports that aftershocks are possible in the coming days to weeks      

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the US Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa.