The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded a magnitude-4.6 earthquake located east-northeast of Pāhala on Tuesday, October 5, at 8:37 p.m., HST.  The earthquake was centered about 5 miles east-northeast of Pāhala, at a depth of 20 miles.

Light shaking, with maximum Intensity of IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, has been reported across parts of Hawaiʻi Island.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” service (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/dyfi/) received over 210 felt reports within the first hour of the earthquake.

According to HVO Scientist-in-Charge, Ken Hon, the earthquake had no observable impact on Mauna Loa and Kīlauea volcanoes. In a statement Hon said, “This earthquake is part of the ongoing seismic swarm under the Pāhala area, which started in August 2019. Webcams and other data streams show no impact on the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea. Please be aware that aftershocks are possible and may be felt. HVO continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes. The Alert Levels/Color Codes remain at WATCH/ORANGE for Kīlauea and ADVISORY/YELLOW for Mauna Loa at this time.”

Earthquakes in this swarm occur beneath Kīlauea’s lower Southwest Rift Zone, beneath the town of Pāhala and in an area extending about 6 miles offshore. Most of the earthquakes occur at depths 15–25 miles. Earthquakes in this region have been observed at least as far back as the 1960s.

A map showing the location of the earthquake is posted on the HVO website at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/earthquakes/. More details are available at the National Earthquake Information Center website at  https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv72742352.