No tsunami threat following earthquake on Hawai‘i Island

There is no tsunami threat following a magnitude-4.1 earthquake that rattled Puna Saturday, nine miles south of Fern Forest.

The quake occurred at 8:47 p.m. at a depth of four miles below sea level. It was followed by three aftershocks in a similar area within 10 minutes: a M2.0, M2.6 and one M3.3; other aftershocks are possible.

The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes. Most earthquakes in this region are caused by abrupt motion of Kīlauea volcano’s south flank, which moves to the southeast over the oceanic crust. The location, depth, and waveforms recorded as part of today’s earthquake are consistent with slip-along faults related to the south flank detachment fault.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.