Substantial Quake Rocks Park

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake located beneath the south flank of Kilauea Volcano rocked the park on the evening of Monday, August 13th. The quake occurred as park staff were gearing up for the arrival of Hurricane Flossie. The quake was located about 25 miles south of Hilo at a depth of six miles and was felt throughout the island. Several aftershocks were recorded, with the largest having a preliminary magnitude of 3.2. The largest previous earthquake on the south flank was a magnitude 5.0 that occurred on August 27, 2003. Eleven earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5.0 have occurred in this part of the island since 1975, when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near Kalapana. Although the quake gave park and area residents a serious shaking, no significant damage was reported. For eruption updates and information on recent earthquakes in Hawai‘i, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.