4.1 quake shakes south flank of Kilauea on Big Isle
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake beneath the Kilauea Volcano’s south flank shook Hawaii island at 2:09 p.m. today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was centered about eight miles south of Fern Forest, USGS said, near the Holei Pali area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at a depth of four miles.
There was weak to light shaking, according to USGS, at a level in which damage to buildings or structures is not expected. More than 300 residents responded to the “Did you feel it?” feature within the first few hours of the earthquake.
“This earthquake was widely felt across the Island of Hawaii,” said Hawaiian Volcano Observatory acting scientist-in-charge Davis Phillips in a statement. “Please be aware that aftershocks are possible and may be felt. HVO continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.”
USGS said Kilauea’s south flank has been the site of over 30 earthquakes of magnitude-4.0 or greater during the past 20 years.There was a magnitude 4.0 earthquake recorded in mid-January in the southwest rift zone of Kilauea Volcano, and also a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the Waikoloa area in mid-December.
Most of them are caused by abrupt motion of the volcano’s south flank, which moves to the southeast over the oceanic crust, officials said.