USGS HVO Press Release — Magnitude-4.5 Earthquake beneath Mauna Kea, Hawai‘i

A magnitude-4.5 earthquake was located on the northeast flank of Mauna Kea by the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) on Monday March 8, at 6:29 p.m. HST The earthquake was located 32 km (20 miles) northwest of Hilo, Hawai‘i at a depth of 32 km (20 miles).

The earthquake was reported felt over most of the Island of Hawai‘i, and as of Tuesday morning, March 9, USGS had received 585 felt reports on their "Did you feel it?" Web site (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/).

The region surrounding Mauna Kea's summit has persistent deep earthquake activity, with over 30 earthquakeslocated at depths greater than 20 km every year. These earthquakes are typically small, and over the last 25 years, the region near Monday's event has experienced only 8 earthquakes greater than magnitude-4.0. Deep earthquakes in this region are most likely caused by the structural adjustment of the island due to the heavy load of Mauna Kea.

Daily updates about ongoing eruptions, recent images and videos of summit and East Rift Zone volcanic activity, maps, and data about recent earthquakes in Hawaii are posted on the HVO website at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo. 

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