No Tsunami Expected From 4.6-M Big Island Quake

UPDATE 11:36 a.m.: The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded an offshore magnitude 4.6 earthquake southwest the Island of Hawai‘i on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 9:07 a.m.

The earthquake was centered about 52 miles southwest of Ka Lae (South Point) at a depth of 17 miles.

Light shaking, with maximum Intensity of IV, has been reported across the Islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu. At that intensity, damage to buildings or structures is not expected.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” service received over 90 felt reports within two hours of the earthquake. The depth, location, and recorded seismic waves of the earthquake suggest a source due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain, a common source for earthquakes in this area.

Aftershocks are possible and could be felt. The earthquake caused no detectable changes to Kīlauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Island of Hawai‘i. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.

For information on recent earthquakes in Hawai‘i and eruption updates, visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website.

ORIGINAL POST:

TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI

915 AM HST THU FEB 07 2019

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED AT 9:07 AM WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS:

ORIGIN TIME – 0907 AM HST 07 FEB 2019
COORDINATES – 18.1 NORTH 156.5 WEST
LOCATION – HAWAII
MAGNITUDE – 4.8 UPDATE 4.6

NO TSUNAMI IS EXPECTED.

HOWEVER, SOME AREAS MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SHAKING.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.