Home > Earthquakes, Natural Disasters > Series of At Least 38 Earthquakes Strike Big Island of Hawaii

Series of At Least 38 Earthquakes Strike Big Island of Hawaii


“(AP) WAIMEA, Hawaii — A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck the north part of the Big Island on Wednesday, and the shaking was followed by a series of smaller temblors.

The first quake struck 13 miles southeast of Waimea at about 2 p.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered at a depth of 11.7 miles. About two dozen smaller quakes ranging in magnitude from 1.7 to 3.6 followed within two hours.

No tsunami alert was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage. Residents across the island reported feeling light to moderate shaking.

‘When you feel a four-and-a-half at close range, it feels like a truck crashed into a building,’ said Weston Thelen, seismic network manager for Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The smaller quakes were normal sizes for an aftershock sequence, he said, adding that they can continue at low levels for several days.

The vast island — spread across more than 4,000-square miles — was formed by several volcanoes. The latest earthquakes caused no detectable changes in the continuing eruption of Kilauea volcano, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.” Read more.

Earthquake Swarm at Mauna Kea in Hawaii – “Since early yesterday (Hawaii time), the volcano has experienced at least 38 earthquakes, some as large at M4.5, all centered NW of the main summit of Mauna Kea, all at depths between 14-19 km (see below), all below the crust under the Big Island. This is what a suspicious swarm looks like, where we have a strong focus of seismicity at depth under an active volcano – the question now is how persistent will this swarm be.” Read more.

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