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USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2022-07-26T21:54:06-07:00

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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
U.S. Geological Survey
Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 7:21 PM HST (Wednesday, July 27, 2022, 05:21 UTC)


KAMA'EHUAKANALOA (VNUM #332000)
18°55'12" N 155°16'12" W, Summit Elevation -3199 ft (-975 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: UNASSIGNED
Current Aviation Color Code: UNASSIGNED

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT

HVO has revised the format of earthquake information statements issued for magnitude 4 and greater events; the revised format includes the same information as that provided in HVO’s past earthquake information statements.

On Tuesday, July 26, at 6:28 p.m. HST, a magnitude-4.6 earthquake occurred beneath Kama‘ehuakanaloa (Lō‘ihi seamount), 26 mi (43 km) ESE of Nā‘ālehu, south of the Island of Hawaiʻi and at a depth of 7 mi (11 km) below sea level. This earthquake closely followed the magnitude 4.3 earthquake that occured about 30 mi (50 km) north less than an hour earlier at 5:46 p.m., but is not related to that deeper sequence of earthquakes near Pāhala. The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.

“This second quake is a relatively shallow earthquake that occured in the vicinity of the earthquake swarm that took place within Kamaʻehukanaloa from July 16th  to 18th and may represent stress release related to this event.  There is no sign that this is related to renewed magmatic activity.  It is also unusual to have two moderate earthquakes occur so close in time and proximity, but there is no apparent relationship between the two events.” according to HVO Scientist-in-Charge Ken Hon.

HVO continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.

EARTHQUAKE DESCRIPTION

  • Magnitude: 4.6
  • Date and Time: July 26, 2022, at 6:28 p.m. HST  
  • Location: 27 mi (43 km) ESE of Nā‘ālehu, south of the Island of Hawaiʻi
  • Depth: 7 mi (11 km) below sea level  
  • Aftershocks are possible in the coming days to weeks  

EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY AND AFFECTED AREA

EARTHQUAKE MAPS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FIVE MOST RECENT MAGNITUDE 4 OR GREATER EARTHQUAKES IN HAWAII



Background: Intermittent earthquake activity has been recorded in the vicinity of Kama‘ehuakanaloa (Lō‘ihi) since as early as 1952. The most energetic earthquake sequence occurred in July-August 1996, which included more than 4,000 earthquakes, with nearly 300 events larger than M3.0 and 95 events in the M4.0 to 4.9 range. More recently, a swarm of 100 earthquakes occurred on May 11, 2020, with 18 events in the M3.0 to 3.9 range. There are no working monitoring instruments on Kama‘ehuakanaloa volcano, whose peak is about 1,000 m (3,280 ft) below sea level. All real-time information about the volcano is derived from land-based seismometers on the Island of Hawai‘i.

More Information:
Kama‘ehuakanaloa website: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kama‘ehuakanaloa



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CONTACT INFORMATION:

askHVO@usgs.gov

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi.