Magnitude-4.2 earthquake shakes Big Island of Hawaii
A magnitude-4.2 earthquake rumbled just offshore of the Big Island of Hawaii on Tuesday morning, but officials said no tsunamis were expected.
The earthquake was about 5 miles southeast of the community of Pāhala, just off the southern shore of the Big Island, at 9:37 a.m. local time (3:37 p.m. ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The office of Gov. Josh Green said on X, "A local earthquake has occurred — 4.0 magnitude off the Ka'u coast of the Big Island. Shaking may have been felt in some areas, but No Tsunami was generated."
The USGS said the quake was unlikely to produce damage.
"No damage to buildings or infrastructure expected based on earthquake intensity," it said.
It received about 40 reports from those who said they felt the earthquake.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 4.2. It said the depth was roughly 20 miles below the ocean's surface.
The earthquake shook amid a series of small quakes in the region in the last few days that ranged in magnitude from 1.5 to 2.3. Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island remained active last week, with the USGS logging several events as the Halema'uma'u crater erupted, spewed lava and vented steam.
"The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes," the USGS said.
The area has been the location of multiple small earthquakes, what the USGS describes as a "seismic swarm," since 2019.
"Earthquakes in this region have been observed at least as far back as the 1960s," it said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Nevada rocked by earthquake swarm with the strongest reaching nearly 5 magnitude
Nevada has experienced an uptick in seismic activity over the last 24 hours. The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected seven earthquakes, with the largest measuring a 4.8 magnitude, that hit at 7:16am ET near Caliente. The other tremors, starting Thursday and continuing into Friday, ranged from 1.1 magnitude to 3.3 magnitude. The 4.8 magnitude is the latest earthquake to hit, with shaking detected as far south as Las Vegas, which sits more than 150 miles south. It was likely caused by tectonic activity along one of the many fault systems in the Basin and Range Province, a region known for stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust. The USGS detect a 3.3 magnitude earthquake Thursday about 14 miles northeast of Nellis Air Force Base. This was followed by two smaller tremors just minutes later. Nellis Air Force Base tested US nuclear weapons above ground during the 1950s and 1960s, but testing moved underground until all operations ceased in 1992. Nevada is the nation's third-most seismically active state, ranking behind only California and Alaska. This is a developing story... More updates to come
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Mystery as small unexpected US town is rattled by dozens of earthquakes overnight
A small town in Idaho has been rattled by more than 35 earthquakes in just 24 hours. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the swarm near Stanley, a town of fewer than 150 people perched along a fault line capable of producing major quakes. The latest tremor, a 3.5 magnitude, hit at 9:48am PT (12:48pm ET) on Wednesday. Stanley sits near the Sawtooth Fault, a 40-mile-long fault line running through central Idaho. While geologically ancient, the Sawtooth Fault was only clearly identified in 2010. It drew national attention after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck in 2020, one of the largest in Idaho's recent history, which was felt across several states. Experts have called the Sawtooth Fault a 'sleeping giant' as it is dormant for long periods but capable of triggering a devastating earthquake when it awakens. This week's constant wave of seismic activity in the same area is 'unusual' and concerning to Idaho state geologist Claudio Berti, who said it's unclear what's going to happen next. This is a developing story... More updates to come The earthquakes detected overnight range from 1.9 magnitude to 4.0 magnitude. While earthquakes above a 2.5 magnitude can be felt, this region of Idaho is sparsely populated. Only dozens of people reported shaking in the last 24 hours.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Rocky mountain state rattled by a dozen earthquakes is just six hours sparking fears 'The Big One' is coming
Idaho has been rocked by flurry of earthquakes, with more than a dozen breaking out within the last 12 hours. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has revealed that several of these quakes were stronger than 3.5 in magnitude. The latest one (magnitude 3.9) struck just outside the small town of Stanley in Central Idaho at 9:06am ET Tuesday morning. Overall, there have been a staggering 33 earthquakes recorded by USGS in the same area of Idaho since 2:13pm Monday afternoon. Stanley, which has a population of less than 150 people, played a key role in the gold rush during the late 1860s and 1870s. Stanley also sits near the Sawtooth Fault, a 40-mile-long fault line running through central Idaho. While geologically ancient, the Sawtooth Fault was only clearly identified in 2010. It drew national attention after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck in 2020, one of the largest in Idaho's recent history, which was felt across several states. Experts have called the Sawtooth Fault a 'sleeping giant' as it is dormant for long periods but capable of triggering a devastating earthquake when it awakens. This week's constant wave of seismic activity in the same area is 'unusual' and concerning to Idaho state geologist Claudio Berti, who said it's unclear what's going to happen next. Between 10:23pm ET Monday night and 5am Tuesday morning, a dozen moderate-sized earthquakes struck the area around Stanley. Then, USGS reported that another four quakes rattled the region starting at 7:57am ET. Three of these quakes exceeded 3.5 in magnitude. Earthquakes between 2.5 and 5.4 are typically felt by people and may cause minor damage. No damage has been reported from this swarm. Seismic swarms can sometimes act as precursors to larger earthquakes along a certain fault line, but there's no guarantee such an event will take place. However, scientists estimate the fault could produce magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquakes, strong enough to cause serious shaking and damage hundreds of miles away. 'When we get one single [earthquake] event somewhere in the middle of nowhere, it is hard to make any sense of it,' Berti told the Idaho Statesman. He explained that when there's a constant series of quakes focused in a specific area, their alignment tends to reveal the location and shape of the fault — the crack in the Earth's crust where rocks move and cause earthquakes.
