UPDATE: 5.0 Magnitude Quake Shakes Volcano Area: No Tsunami Generated

UDDATE: May 4, 2018, 12:02 p.m.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded a magnitude-5.0 earthquake on Thursday, May 3, 2018, at approximately 10:31 a.m. HST.

The quake was initially reported as 4.6 in magnitude.

The 5.0-magnitude quake is indicated by the largest red dot. MC: USGS/HVO

The earthquake was located about 4.3 miles southeast of the town of Volcano at a depth of 4.3 miles.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” website received over 500 felt reports from around the Island of Hawai‘i within an hour after the quake.

The maximum intensity of shaking was recorded as VI on the Mercalli Intensity Scale, indicating strong shaking at the earthquake’s epicenter.

For more information see the USGS ShakeMap online.

“It appears that ground shaking from the earthquake caused rockfalls in the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on Kīlauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone, which resulted in a short-lived plume of reddish ash rising above the cone,” said Tina Neal, HVO scientist-in-charge.

No other changes at Kīlauea have been observed, but HVO scientists are closely monitoring the data.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, no tsunami was generated by the earthquake.

ORIGINAL POST: May 3, 10:44 a.m.

Earthquakes continue to shake the east side of the Big Island and at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, 2018, a 4.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Volcano area of the island.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that the earthquake was not large enough to cause a tsunami for the island of Hawai’i.

Preliminary data indicates that the earthquake measuring a magnitude of 4.6 was centered in the vicinity of the south flank of Kīlauea Volcano.

The quake was widely felt by area residents, including Hilo.

As in all earthquakes, be aware of the possibility of aftershocks. If the earthquake was strongly felt in your area, precautionary checks should be made for any damages; especially to utility connections of gas, water and electricity.