Hawaii 24/7 Staff

The 3.5 magnitude temblor was felt along the Kona and Kohala Coasts, all the way up to Hawi and down into Kailua town.

Just a little rattle and shake that didn’t even wake up the cats.

Magnitude
3.5
Date-Time
Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 10:04:06 UTC
Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 12:04:06 AM at epicenter
Location
19.688°N, 156.401°W
Depth
10.4 km (6.5 miles)
Region
HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
Distances
42 km (26 miles) W (265°) from Kalaoa, HI
43 km (27 miles) W (277°) from Kailua, HI
46 km (29 miles) W (280°) from Holualoa, HI
138 km (86 miles) W (269°) from Hilo, HI
234 km (145 miles) SE (140°) from Honolulu, HI

A minor earthquake occurred at 0:04:06 AM (HST) on Thursday, March 22, 2012 .
The magnitude 3.5 event occurred 43 km (27 miles) West of Kailua-Kona.
The hypocentral depth is 10 km ( 6 miles).

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.