At 4:25 p.m. Saturday, a magnitude-4.3 earthquake occurred 4 miles south/southwest of Volcano on Hawaii Island at a depth of 0.2 miles below sea level, according to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kilauea volcanoes.
Based on earthquake intensity, no damage to buildings or infrastructure was expected.
The size, location, and character of the earthquake suggests that it is related to the ongoing pressurized magma storage system beneath Kilauea’s summit area, which extends into the upper East Rift Zone, where intrusions of magma have recently occurred. Several aftershocks were detected within the first 30 minutes after the earthquake, as is typical for an event of this size. Additional aftershocks are expected to be minor, but may continue for day to weeks.
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.