Magnitude-4.2 Earthquake Shakes Kīlauea

A magnitude-4.2 earthquake rocked the Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone this morning.

The quake occurred at approximately 10:03 a.m. There is no tsunami threat as a result of the tremor, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reports. The earthquake was centered about five miles northeast of Pāhala, at a depth of 20 miles.

According to HVO geophysicist, Jefferson Chang, the earthquake had no apparent effect on Kīlauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes.

“This earthquake appears to be part of the seismic swarm under the Pāhala area, which has been going on for over a year. Out of over ten thousand earthquakes that were detected in the area, a few have been large enough to be felt. We see no detectable changes in activity at the summits or along the rift zones of Mauna Loa or Kīlauea as a result of these earthquakes.” HVO continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.

Earthquakes beneath Kīlauea’s lower Southwest Rift Zone are produced mostly at depths of 15-25 miles, beneath the town of Pāhala and extending about six miles offshore.