A magnitude-4.7 earthquake occurred 9 miles south of Fern Forest at a depth of 4 miles below sea level this morning at 12:52am. The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.

No damage to building or infrastructure is expected based on the quake’s intensity.

Most earthquakes in this region are caused by abrupt motion of Kīlauea volcano’s south flank, which moves to the southeast over the oceanic crust. The location, depth, and waveforms recorded as part of today’s earthquake are consistent with slip along faults related to the south flank detachment fault.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.