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COURTESY USGS
The star on this U.S. Geological Survey map shows the epicenter of today’s magnitude 4.2 earthquake south of Volcano.
A magnitude-4.2 earthquake shook Kilauea volcano’s southern flank late this morning.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the earthquake struck at 11:41 a.m. and was centered about 9 miles south of Volcano, under the Hilina Pali area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at a depth of 5 miles.
Weak to light shaking has been reported across the Big Island, but the quake was not strong enough to cause significant damage to buildings or structures, HVO officials said.
The USGS’ self-reported “Did you feel it?” online survey received over 175 reports within the first hour of the earthquake, they said.
HVO Scientist-in-Charge Ken Hon said in a news release that 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. Aftershocks are possible and could be felt,” he said.
Kilauea’s south flank has been the site of 40 earthquakes of magnitude-4.0 or greater during the past 20 years, according to HVO.
A few earthquakes preceded this event, including a magnitude-3.6 and magnitude-3.4 this morning, officials said.
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