Earthquakes

Deep beneath Pāhala, a town located in the southern part of the Island of Hawai’i, is currently the most seismically active region of the Hawaiian Islands. Frequent, deep earthquakes (greater than 20 km or 12 miles below sea level) are felt regularly by local residents, and, occasionally, people across the entire island.

Residents of Hawaii are accustomed to feeling earthquake shaking. The magnitude, location, and depth of an earthquake, and overlying soil conditions determine how widely and strongly any particular event can be felt. Typically, people report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 3.0.