USGS HVO Press Release — Magnitude-4.2 earthquake between the Islands of Maui and Hawai‘i
The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded a magnitude-4.2 earthquake in the ‘Alenuihāhā Channel between the Islands of Maui and Hawai‘i on Sunday, July 30, 2017, at 2:01 a.m. HST.
The earthquake was located 26 km (16 mi) southeast of Kaupō, Maui, and 33 km (21 mi) northwest of Hāwī, Hawai‘i, at a depth of 17 km (11 mi). A map showing the earthquake location is posted on HVO's website at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/earthquakes.
The USGS Did you feel it? website (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/dyfi/) received almost 100 felt reports within an hour of the earthquake. The maximum intensity of shaking reported by residents on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu and computed by the USGS ShakeMap was III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, indicating light shaking.
According to HVO Seismic Network Manager Brian Shiro, the earthquake was likely due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the island and poses no significant hazard. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that no tsunami was generated by the earthquake, which also had no apparent effect on Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing eruptions.
For more information on recent earthquakes in Hawaii and eruption updates, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/.
Volcano updates, photos, maps, and recent earthquake data for Hawaii are posted on the HVO website at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo.
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