Mild shaking felt across Hawaii island likely an aftershock of 2018’s large Kilauea quake

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook Kilauea Volcano’s southern flank Sunday night.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the quake beneath was centered about 7.5 miles southeast of Kilauea caldera 8 miles about south-southeast of Volcano and 28 miles south-southwest of Hilo, at a depth of 4.8 miles.

This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the 2018 magnitude-6.9 earthquake as the volcano continues to settle, according to an HVO news release.

HVO officials said weak to light shaking was reported across the Big Island. But Sunday’s quake was too weak to damage structures or cause a tsunami.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” online survey received over 280 reports within the first hour of the earthquake, officials said.

HVO seismologist Brian Shiro said the earthquake had no apparent effect on Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes.

“We see no detectable changes in activity at the summits or along the rift zones of Kilauea or Mauna Loa as a result of this earthquake,” he said. “Aftershocks are possible and could be felt.”

According to HVO, Kilauea’s south flank has recorded 20 earthquakes of magnitude-4.0 or greater over the past two decades. HVO scientists said most of the quakes —likely including Sunday’s temblor — are caused by abrupt motion of Kilauea’s southern flank, which moves to southeast over the oceanic crust.