Big Island Earthquakes are Normal

from: Hawaii Big Island Volcano Update

We live on volcanos!

But nonetheless, they often make the news so we feel compelled to share any updates. Many times though, earthquakes never make the news outside of the local neighborhoods surrounding Pu`u O`o. It just depends on the volumes of news the big papers are already dealing with. Here’s the scoop on the latest newsworthy earthquake.

“A magnitude-4.7 earthquake occurred at 9:13 am HST at shallow depth beneath the summit caldera and was followed by several aftershocks, the largest of which was a 4.1 at 9:33 am. The earthquake and its aftershocks had no appreciable effect on the continuing Kilauea eruption.

The long story that won’t change daily: Over the past several months, Kilauea caldera has been expanding at a rate of 1.5 cm/month indicating minimal magma storage there; most of the magma supply continues to feed the Pu`u `O`o vent. Pu`u `O`o cone is slowly collapsing as shown by cracks spreading on its south flank and about 1 cm/month subsidence of its north flank.”