A temblor with a magnitude of 4.4 struck Hawaii Island at 10:27 a.m. Thursday, March 23, 2017.

By USGS/HVO

Seismograph recording of the earthquake at 10:27 a.m. HST Thursday, March 23, 2017.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded a magnitude-4.4 earthquake located beneath KÄ«lauea Volcano’s south flank on Thursday, March 23, at 10:27 a.m., HST. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake. http://ptwc.weather.gov/ptwc/index.php

The earthquake, which was widely felt on the Island of HawaiÊ»i, was located about 5 km (3 mi) WSW of Kaena Point and 20 km (12 mi) south of Volcano, at a depth of 5.4 km (3.4 mi). A map showing the location of the earthquake is posted on HVO’s website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/seismic/volcweb/earthquakes/.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/data/dyfi/) received 175 felt reports within the first hour of the earthquake. The maximum intensity of shaking reported by Island of HawaiÊ»i residents was III on the Mercalli Intensity Scale, indicating weak shaking.

There was one minor (M2.6) foreshock and several minor aftershocks following this morning’s magnitude-4.4 earthquake.

KÄ«lauea’s south flank has been the site of 29 earthquakes of magnitude-4.0 or greater during the past 25 years. Most are caused by abrupt motion of the volcano’s south flank, which moves to the southeast over the oceanic crust as a result of magma being injected into the East Rift Zone. The location, depth, and waveforms recorded as part of today’s earthquake are all consistent with slip along or above this south flank fault.

According to HVO Scientist-in-Charge Christina Neal the earthquake had no apparent effect on KÄ«lauea Volcano’s ongoing eruptions. “HVO monitoring networks have not detected any significant changes in activity at the summit or along the rift zones of KÄ«lauea or at other Hawaiian volcanoes resulting from the earthquake.”

For more information on recent earthquakes in Hawaiʻi and eruption updates, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==

Region:                           ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
Geographic coordinates:           19.314N, 155.196W
Magnitude:                        4.3
Depth:                            28 km
Universal Time (UTC):             23 Mar 2017  20:27:24
Time near the Epicenter:          23 Mar 2017  10:27:24
Local standard time in your area: 23 Mar 2017  10:27:24

Location with respect to nearby cities:
13 km (8 mi) SSE of Volcano, Hawaii
38 km (23 mi) SW of Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaii
47 km (29 mi) SSW of Hilo, Hawaii
91 km (56 mi) ESE of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
354 km (219 mi) SE of Honolulu, Hawaii

TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
1030 AM HST THU MAR 23 2017

TO – EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE STATE OF HAWAII

SUBJECT – LOCAL TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT

THIS STATEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NO ACTION REQUIRED.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME – 1027 AM HST 23 MAR 2017
COORDINATES – 19.3 NORTH 155.2 WEST
LOCATION – IN THE HILINA REGION OF KILAUEA VOLCANO
MAGNITUDE – 4.3

EVALUATION

NO TSUNAMI IS EXPECTED. REPEAT. NO TSUNAMI IS EXPECTED. HOWEVER…SOME AREAS MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SHAKING.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.

USGS: How large does an earthquake have to be to cause a tsunami?

Magnitudes below 6.5
Earthquakes of this magnitude are very unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Magnitudes between 6.5 and 7.5
Earthquakes of this size do not usually produce destructive tsunamis. However, small sea level changes may be observed in the vicinity of the epicenter. Tsunamis capable of producing damage or casualties are rare in this magnitude range but have occurred due to secondary effects such as landslides or submarine slumps.

Magnitudes between 7.6 and 7.8
Earthquakes of this size may produce destructive tsunamis especially near the epicenter; at greater distances small sea level changes may be observed. Tsunamis capable of producing damage at great distances are rare in the magnitude range.

Magnitude 7.9 and greater
Destructive local tsunamis are possible near the epicenter, and significant sea level changes and damage may occur in a broader region.

Note that with a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the probability of an aftershock with a magnitude exceeding 7.5 is not negligible. To date, the largest aftershock recorded has been magnitude 7.1 that did not produce a damaging tsunami.