Magnitude-4.1 earthquake rattles Big Island

A magnitude-4.1 earthquake 8 miles southwest of Volcano at a depth of 17 miles below sea level rattled the Big Island at 4:27 p.m. Saturday.

The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes. A smaller magnitude-3.4 aftershock happened at 4:42 p.m. in the same region and depth.

Additional aftershocks are possible in the coming days to weeks.

No damage to buildings or infrastructure is expected based on the earthquake’s intensity. More than 170 “felt reports” from around the Big Island were recorded within the first hour after the quake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says the earthquake was not large enough to cause a tsunami for the island.

According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the quake is of uncertain origin but most likely was caused by the bending of the lithosphere beneath Kīlauea. The location just to the northeast of Mauna Iki is too far north to be related to Pāhala earthquakes and its depth is well below the magma plumbing system within Kīlauea in this region.

These earthquakes are not related to the recent activity south and west of Kīlauea and are not expected to lead to any significant changes.

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