Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist on May 23 earthquake: 'Aftershocks are possible and could be felt'

Events
Jack ebnet lzfvzfcjqka unsplash
Kilauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. | Photo by Jack Ebnet on Unsplash

A 4.2-magnitude earthquake located under Kilauea Volcano's south flank was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO); it happened May 23 at 11:41 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

It was centered approximately 9 miles south of the volcano, beneath the Hilina Pali area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

“We see no detectable changes in activity at the summits or along the rift zones of Kilauea or Mauna Loa as a result of this earthquake,” HVO Scientist-in-Charge Ken Hon said, according to Volcano Discovery. “Aftershocks are possible and could be felt."

More than 175 reports during the first hour of the earthquake were confirmed and logged by the community at the Did You Feel It? website. According to the reports, there was a weak to light shaking, with maximum intensity of IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

Prior to the 4.2-magnitude event, there were few earthquakes, including a magnitude-3.6 and magnitude-3.4, earlier that day, according to USGS.gov. The HVO continues to monitor Kilauea and other Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.

In the past two decades, Kilauea's south flank has been the site of 40 earthquakes, which have had a magnitude of at least 4.0. Most were caused by a sudden activity of the volcano's south flank, which moves to the southeast over the oceanic crust, the USGS HVO stated.