4.5 Hawaiʻi earthquake is part of seismic swarm, no apparent impact on volcanoes

A magnitude-4.5 earthquake reported at around 12:43 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, is part of a seismic swarm under the Pāhala area that has been ongoing since 2019, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The HVO reports the quake occurred 6 miles ENE of Pāhala at a depth of 20 miles, and had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea. 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a statement shortly after the earthquake, saying there is no tsunami threat to the Hawaiian Islands. The PTWC said the quake was located in the southwest rift zone of the Kīlauea Volcano.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.   

There were more than 200 felt reports recorded by the USGS Did You Feel It? website. Most felt reports were from the Hilo area, with the quake felt as far away as Lahaina on Maui, Kaunakakai on Molokaʻi, and Honolulu on Oʻahu.

The USGS HVO provided a list of the five most recent Magnitude 4 or greater earthquakes in Hawaiʻi including:

• 2022 Sept. 8—Magnitude 4.2—6 mi (9 km) ENE of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi
• 2022 Sept. 5—Magnitude 4.0—7 mi ( 12 km) ENE of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi
• 2022 Aug. 22—Magnitude 4.0— 6 mi (9 km) E of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi
• 2022 July 26—Magnitude 4.6—27 mi (43 km) ESE of Nāʻālehu, Island of Hawaiʻi
• 2022 July 26—Magnitude 4.3—6 mi (9 km) ENE of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi